


The Secrets of Caitlin Snow

by EvilSlicey



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Anxiety, Attempts at comic book name, Barry Allen Needs a Hug, Burns, Caitlin Snow Needs a Hug, Caitlin needs more love, Cold gun, Crying, Demons, F/M, Hackers (1995) - Freeform, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I screwed with cannon, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Magic is Real, Mental Health Issues, My brain is wrong, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Secrets, Service Animals, Sex, Sorry Not Sorry, Star Wars hate, pop culture references, puppys, snarky cisco
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-07-24 13:34:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 39,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16176128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvilSlicey/pseuds/EvilSlicey
Summary: One day everyone realizes Caitlin isn't in the lab. The search leads to some surprising revelations. Oh and the Legends are back hunting an 'Ancient being of unknowable evil' or a 'Standard Tuesday for the Legends' as Ray says. Unfortunately its a Thursday..





	1. How It Started

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!  
> This is the first fic I've published, I usually write them and toss them but I wanted to give it a try. I don't know how long this is going to be but I doubt its going to be more than 10 chapters.  
> Somethings to know about my work.  
> 1\. One of my big inspirations was the Piligram episode of Legends where Mick says he has no one they can threaten and Leonard has that sad look on his face  
> 2\. I feel like all the times the Flash team has let just plain Jane Caitlin into the field is just wrong  
> 3\. There is some hate mentioned towards star wars, I do not appologize   
> 4\. I re-watched Hackers for like the 500th time the other day, realized that Carlos Valdes' Cisco Ramon was like the less flamboyant version of Phantom Phreak aka Ramon Sanchez, and can't believe there isn't a uber-nerd on the writing staff for The Flash to point this out and use that to make so many references for an episode. I mean to fix that.  
> 5\. I'm setting this after season 6 of the Arrow, Season 4 of The Flash and Season 3 of Legends. If some stuff is way off base my excuse is season 6 of Arrow is depressing me and pushing a few buttons so I have not watched it all 100% yet.  
> 6\. I have no beta, I checked multiple times but its like 11pm and I don't sleep like a normal human being so who knows. Let me know if you see a mistake  
> 7\. Did anyone else catch the Serenity reference in Arrow season 6?
> 
> oK Let me know what you think. Updates to come.

                _The world was normal once, wasn’t it?_

                That was the thought that kept repeating in Barry’s head as he looks around the cortex in amusement. Felicity was hunched over a computer with Cisco working on some code, at least he thinks so. The duel hackers keep starting a sentence only to be cut off by other before finishing and all Barry can do is shake his head watching them. Oliver and Dig listening to Dibny chattering away some story, twin looks of amusement on their face at the Elongated Man’s clownish antics, though not without some mild annoyance creeping into Oliver’s face. Barry is already sure he should drag him away to train a bit before the archer decides to test out his protégé’s resistance to arrows. Being a semi-fugitive might not make for a long fuse on the more experience vigilante after all.

                _Though that would be fun to watch…_

                The really surprising part was Iris and Thea off to the side whispering and giggling. And looking over at him every now and then. Barry was not comfortable with those looks. It was time to do something away from those looks. Especially as Thea’s kept traveling a little low for his comfort. Barry would really, really rather dodge arrows now thanks.

                He started moving to grab Oliver and find a warehouse to train in when Felicity looked up suddenly and scanned the room with a look of concern that gave him pause.

                “Some wrong Felicity?” Barry asked with a small smile as Felicity jumped in her seat like she forgot she wasn’t alone for a minute. Which was possible for the hacker.

                “Oh its nothing… I just realized I hadn’t seen Caitlin yet…” The hacker trailed off standing up and looking around again. “Is she here?”

                Barry paused and looked over at Iris.

                “Actually, I don’t think I’ve seen her today either… Iris have you seen Caitlin today?”

                Iris pressed her lips together and tilted her slightly in thought.

                “I thought I saw her earlier this morning. Like really early, maybe 8 am, when I was checking the meta-alerts before heading to the news station? She was working on something on the computer in the med room and I didn’t want to interrupt.”

                Felicity stood up and quickly started to the med room, “I want an opinion on the best way to scan for metas in an active crisis situation, maybe she’s in there still.”

                Barry noticed the slight look of concern on her face that was mirror on Oliver’s as he watched his wife head to the other room. Oliver caught his eyes and Barry knew he was thinking the same thing. There was no way Caitlin would spend the whole day in the med room, specially not with all the noise they had been making in the Cortex.

                This was quickly confirmed when Felicity returned shaking her head.

                “Maybe we should just call her. There hasn’t been any big meta attacks recently and she might have decided to go get coffee and got distracted, and without us circling the wagons there was nothing big and bad to pull her back to the lab. No offense Oliver, we weren’t exactly expecting to be entertaining you and your team today. “Barry pulled his phone out paused. “Huh.”

                “What is it Barry?” Oliver asked, moving to his side.

                “I have a missed call from Caitlin. It came in at 9:30.” Barry looked over at Cisco, “Weren’t we in a meeting with Singh then, the whole ‘improving meta-human containment during transport’ and ‘proper storage of possibly volatile evidence from meta-human involved crimes’ discussion we had to have after Peek-A-Boo made another escape attempt while on her way to hearing.”

                “Oh yeah, I didn’t get to head back to the lab until almost noon because I had to run diagnostics and do repairs on all the meta cuffs. Though I did get some great ideas for some upgrades…” Cisco fished his phone out of his pocket, ”Huh, I have a missed call too. Around the same time, too.”

                Iris pulled her phone out and checked it as well “Same here, I would have been the middle of story meeting and my phone is always on silent during those” She looked uncomfortable as she moved over to the main hub. “I hope nothing bad happened.”

                Dibny pulled out his phone while everyone was moving to the hub and frowned “She didn’t call me, I would have happily helped or talked…”. Everyone in the room calmly ignored him as they watched Iris start typing after pushing Cisco gently away with her hip.

                “What are you doing?” Dig asked moving closer to see what she was doing.

                “I’m pulling up the security footage to see if something happened.” She glanced up at roll her eyes at the stare she received “Please like we aren’t all worried, none ever go dark without something bad happening. The last thing any of us want is to find out our friend has been hurt or worse and we didn’t notice.” Iris hit a final key and suddenly the motors in the room had their images of readings and maps replaced with several images of the most commonly traveled areas of the complex.

                The time stamp said 0910 and there was Caitlin bent over the computer in her lab typing out something. On screen they could see her phone light up besides her, and she head snap over and grabbing it. They could even make out her mouth moving into a curse when she saw something on the display. However, they where all a little surprised when her face quickly morphed into a soft smile as she answered. She was obviously giggling at one point and she was curling hair around her finger absent mindly.

                “Does Caitlin have a boyfriend? Or… a girlfriend or something?” Felicity asked looking confused and examining the faces of her friends.

                “I mean she kind of had something with Julian but I don’t they ever got past the mutual ‘I like you and think your kind of cute’ flirting stage before the whole Killer Frost thing happened. Then there was Amunet demanding her time... and then Devoe... I'm not sure if i even thought about asking about Caitlin's personal life recently” Barry said, his discomfort was clear as he looked for confirmation with Cisco and Iris, who just nodded and frowned.

                On the screen the call was clearly coming to an end as Caitlin was standing up and collecting her purse and a jacket. They could see her make the attempted calls to the other STAR lab residents, except Ralph, and her look of annoyance and even a little foot stomp when no one answered. She moved back to her computer, seeming to be pulling something up and talking into the attached webcam and mic before saving with a few strokes and turning off the equipment.

                They watched her quickly hurry through the halls and out of the main lobby of the lab. Iris quickly panned to some of the outside cameras looking for her again. They finally saw her in the back corner of one of the feeds climbing into a truck, too far away to make any real details about it or the driver out. The truck pulled out of the parking lot and disappeared. Iris speed up the footage for a few minutes taking in Dibny showing up and heading to speed lab around 11, and proceeding to goof off as he played with his powers, then Cisco showing up with bags of Big Belly Burger at almost 1. There was no more activity until Oliver and the gang showed up and Cisco called Barry so he could come hang out with them.

                Iris frowned looked over at Barry cross her arms in concern.

                “What could Caitlin be doing?” Iris asked him, Barry instantly knew she was worried that this could be an Amunet situation.

                “Maybe we should check the recording she made before we circle those wagons Iris” Barry could see Oliver nodding in the corner of his eye, barely resisting the urge to puff his chest out in pride for the small approval from his mentor.

                Felicity quickly located the new video on the STAR labs server and played it on the monitors.

                Caitlin’s smiling face popped up on the screen. “Hey guys! I tried to call you all, well I tried to call everyone but Ralph because I thought Ralph would forget to tell you about my call and you guys would panic. I am going to be indisposed for a bit, but I’ll be back in a week. Don’t worry its nothing bad and I’m completely safe. I just have a… friend coming to town and I need to give them some focus. If there is a medial emergency call me and I’ll send Cisco my location, so he can breach me to the lab without delay but if you just need an extra hand in the field I’m not going to be available, sorry. Ok, I got to go see you in a week!” The screen went black and the small group of hero’s shared increasingly concerned, surprised and uneasy looks.

                “A ‘friend’? That doesn’t sound… weird does it” Thea said locking eyes with Oliver and seemingly starting a silent conversation with him.

                “Of course not! Caitlin has friends outside STAR labs.” Barry stopped and nudged Cisco’s shoulder “Right Cisco?”

                “Uh” Cisco started chewing on a pen and looked a little scared “Not really, I mean there are a few other scientist I know she consults without out side the lab but other than them… I can’t think of a single person who I would call Caitlin’s friend, except again maybe Julian. Even before the particle accelerator exploded Caitlin wasn’t the most out going person. She hung out with me and Ronnie and that was it.”

                “Barry who is Amunet?” Oliver pulled himself from the silent conversation with his sister, who Barry noted looked a little pissed.

                “Amunet is a meta ran/runs a meta-human black market selling stolen tech and meta’s into slavery. When Caitlin was trying to stop being Killer Frost she worked for her for a while as an enforcer.  Amunet’s been keeping a low profile since Devoe though, doing mostly small-time cons and things like illegal gambling and smuggling. I’m not even sure she is still in central anymore, I’m pretty sure she cleared out after she made me a shrapnel bomb to take out Devoe’s satellite. She is one of the most wanted criminals at CCPD”

                “And you’re sure Caitlin wouldn’t be with her right now?” Oliver asked crossing his arms giving his best ‘I’m not mad just disappointed’ looks to Barry.

                “There is no way Caitlin would look that happy if Amunet called her, even if she offered her some piece of tech to get back Killer Frost. Amunet has kidnapped her, tortured her, and tried to kill her on multiple occasions. Plus, Felicity’s right. Caitlin’s body language screamed boyfriend and no way Caitlin would ever want to sleep with or date Amunet.” Barry defended himself, and Caitlin. He couldn’t believe the Oliver had so little faith him and his team.

                Barry wasn’t thinking about Flashpoint, nope not at all.

                “Look guys if Caitlin needs a little time for herself, as long as she is safe like she said, who are to complain? No one is in need of medical attention, and I know Felicity and Cisco are… hacking other satellites/ Devoe’s evil satellites or something like that to help with our meta human detection, or plot world domination, or something equally difficult or important but we don’t always all need to be here to be productive. Hell, Wally is the one patrolling tonight so we could hang out. Can’t we just trust her for right now?”

                Barry looked around for some support and only received eye rolls, defiant glares and a soft ‘yeah like secrets have ever led to something ‘safe’ around here’ from Iris.

                Barry sighed and unlocked his phone, pulling up Caitlin’s number.

                “Fine I’ll call her and just check in. Seriously, I think you all are worrying for nothing.”

                Barry hit dial and quickly hit speaker to ensure transparency and to prove that he thought there was nothing to hide when it came to Caitlin Snow. He couldn’t bite back the curse when it rang a few times and Caitlin’s voicemail picked up.

                “Hi, you’ve reached the phone of Dr. Caitlin Snow. I’m currently unavailable to take your call, but if you would please leave a message I will get back to you as soon as possible.” Barry tried to hide a smile at how professional Caitlin’s voicemail message was even when her job was no longer Bioengineer but Full-time medical staff for a meta-human vigilante crime fighting team/Part time cold gun wielding meta. He hid the smile quickly when the beep sounded.

                “Hey Caitlin, just checking in to make sure everything is OK. We saw your message, and hope you have fun. Remember you can call us anytime if you need something. You know me, I’ll be there in a Flash for any thing you need. Call me soon k?”

                He hung up the phone and jumped a little when he heard a huff from Thea and Oliver’s phone chiming.  

                “Seriously dude? Name puns?” Thea said looking disappointed with him, more so than Oliver had before.

                “Hey life can’t be all work all the time, we need to smile sometimes too. Besides it was not nearly as bad as one of Snart’s.”

                “As fun as this all is we have a situation” Oliver cut in before Thea could respond.

                “Situation?” Iris said leaning closer ”What kind of situation?”

                “I just got a message from Sara. The Legends and the Waverider are back in our time line hunting some kind of supernatural monster and might need our help. They are landing the Waverider outside the lab and will fill us in. If there is a Demon or something running around Central City it might be all hands on deck and with Snow AWOL who knows what could happen.” Oliver explained, handing his phone to John to examine.

                “So much for our vacation man?” Dig said with a sarcastic smile, examining the messages.

                “When do people like us ever really have vacations Dig?” Oliver said with a stone face and scowl.

                “Once would be nice” Felicity responded.

 _The world was normal once, wasn’t it?_ Barry thought with a sigh and a last look at his phone. He really hoped they didn’t need Caitlin and she was truly safe like she said she was.

_But when are any of us really safe?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick edit because I realized i didn't give Oliver a reason to know about Amunet


	2. Heroes have boundary issues

                 Barry couldn’t help but wonder if it was really possible for a speedster to have migraine or if it was psychosomatic. Or possibly his body’s way of telling him to just run, run as far and fast as possible from all the people now in the Cortex. He was really beginning to think all of his friends really needed therapy. And boundaries, definitely boundaries. Strong, well defined, 15 foot tall and titanium plated boundaries.

                The Legends had decided that the Waverider had to be parked in the STAR labs parking lot (despite Barry pointing out that he owned a hanger and an airstrip right outside town. It was just a good thing that the museum hadn’t been open for more than a year). Apparently, Sara didn’t want to be that far from her main means of communicating with Ava and they all wanted to work out of STAR labs while in 2018, ‘To avoid cabin fever’ according to Ray. Barry is pretty sure its just because there was more room to avoid each other when they got annoyed.

                Or to torture him. He was beginning to feel really ganged up on.

                Upon landing Constantine immediately went his own way to do research, nothing but a trail of cigarette smoke trailing behind him. Mick quickly followed after once he learned that ‘The Doc and her Frosty friend’ weren’t around with a brief growl of ‘to the bar’ when Ray asked him where he was going.

                Apparently, Caitlin was one of the ones that made everyone else bearable in STAR labs. Barry really didn’t want to know why. The whole ‘Caitlin is gone’ event didn’t need a creepy ‘Mick wants to sleep with Caitlin’ subplot. Oh god, now he was thinking about it.

                Barry really hated his mind sometimes.

                Sara immediately joined Oliver’s side, mimicking his signature disappointed look and arm cross and calling him an ‘idiot if you don’t think you have to worry about a friend going dark without a warning’ even though Barry pointed out that she had tried to warn them. Zari and Nate had quickly joined the others in the belief Caitlin had to be in danger, except for Ray who pointed out that he had sometimes went off on his own without telling anyone.

                Nate then pointed out that the last two times he did that he wound up kidnapped by Damien Darhk and dragged to cold war East Berlin or just swapped out Malice’s possession from Nora to Damien. Ray blushed and looked very defeated.

                Thea at least seemed to agree with Barry that it wasn’t something to be worried about. Except he could have done without the comments about a girl needing ‘time with someone hot’ every now and then.

                What he really wanted was some of that Flash-proof alcohol Cisco had stashed in the kitchen, 5 pizzas and some of his own alone time with his gorgeous wife. His gorgeous wife who was currently talking to Felicity and Cisco about the best way to track Caitlin now that the STAR labs satellite was unavailable.

                Rubbing his temples Barry finally had enough of the over protective hero squad. He also just wanted to get out of the Cortex because he couldn’t run in there or sit down as there were no chairs available and standing idle was making him nervous and tense. Throwing his hands up like the drama queen he knew he could be he stomped in front of the gathered heroes and took charge of the situation. Amused smirks from his guests be damned.

                “Ok enough. Apparently, the only people here who trust that Caitlin would not run off into a dangerous situation and is actually just trying to have some kind of life outside the stress of this crazy ‘save the world 3 times before lunch’ life are Ray, Thea and me. Since we apparently can’t not sit here and panic when our friend is probably just on a nice date because we are emotionally damaged I offer a compromise. “

                “Its not that don’t trust her-“ Felicity started only to be cut of by an exasperated gesture by Barry.

                “Yes, yes it is. Trust me we will talk about that later but right now I’d rather just get this over with, so we can deal with what ever it is the Legends are worried about because that seems more important.”

                “An ancient being of unknowable evil we accidently let lose on the world in our efforts to destroy another ancient unknowable evil while trying to fix the timeline after we kind of broke trying to fix reality.” Nate supplied ignoring the slight groans that escape Oliver, Sara and Cisco.

                “So just a standard Tuesday if you ask me” Ray offered with an overly charming smile.

                Barry just gave the loudest sigh he could muster and rubbed his eyes.

                “Oliver how do you not go insane and kill everyone you love?”

                Oliver snorted and smiled at the younger man. “I find loving them helps.”

                “Right, its like puppies. You can’t just kick a puppy because they annoy you and all that.” Barry smiled back knowing that Oliver understood exactly what Barry was thinking.

                “So that compromise?” Felicity asked looking annoyed at being called a puppy.

                “Right. After Amunet kidnapped Caitlin and then she lost Killer Frost in a separate but equally traumatic to her event Caitlin realized that she might be at risk in the future and be difficult to track down if something happened. She agreed to put an emergency beacon on her necklace and in her phone. Assuming we are dealing with a situation I think we are if we turn on the beacon in her phone we will see that she is either back at her apartment or maybe out on that date. If I’m wrong the beacon on her phone will land close to the lab because anyone using dubious control or meta powers over Caitlin will most like discard her phone as soon as possible. Same if her beacon pings in a suspicious location, like the warehouse district or Farris Air’s abandon strip. So, we turn on the beacon and see where it says she is.”

                “Wait, why didn’t we know about this?” Iris asked irritation seeping through her voice.

                “We wanted it to be an emergency only thing not a ‘I don’t trust Caitlin’ thing. If she finds out I turned on the beacon without a confirmed emergency she is going to hand my ass to me, or worse, make me do more grueling tests.” Barry explained with a blush gracing his cheeks, and his hand moving up rub the back of his neck. “Besides we didn’t really have a lot of need or time to discuss contingencies if something happened and if Joe knew Caitlin had an emergency locator he would insist you and Cecile had a couple as well.  That was a fight no one wants or needs.”

                “Oh man, I can totally see Joe insisting on tagging Jenna. That would be so not cool.” Cisco said, letting the pen he was chewing on dangle from his mouth.

                “Rule of Thumb: I try not to put myself in a position where Joe is fighting with the people he loves and it’s my fault. Hence secret location beacon.” Barry explained and flinched when Iris glared at him.

                _Ok, alone time with Iris might not happen anytime soon._

“Ok let’s turn on the beacon, prove Barry right or wrong and then move on to the next step.” Felicity cheerfully said trying to break the tension and typing away obviously looking for the beacon.

                “Felicity”

                “Hmmm?”

                “It’s a secret beacon, why would you be able to trigger it from the Cortex?”

                 Everyone looked surprised as they full turned their attention to Barry finally. Barry just rolled his eyes and wondered if it was too late to just say screw it and go visit Big Sir in China.

                “I can trigger them from my phone or Caitlin can trigger them on her person if something happens.”

                “Oh” everyone said at once looking a little surprised and a touch embarrassed.

                “Seriously, you guys act like I have no regard for safety or protecting my friends and teammates. How many times have people of dubious intentions invaded STAR labs? Last thing any of us needs is another group of alternate dimension historical villains taking over the lab and using the beacon to hunt down Caitlin who most likely will be with one or all of us.” Barry started clicking away at a hidden app on his phone. He noticed that the only people not looking a little self-conscious about his dig where Oliver, Sara and Zari. Of course, the other leaders and the new person weren’t going to be ashamed about under estimating the speedster. Barry sometimes wishes he wasn’t so young in appearance and years, it would probably help at times like this if he had the age or scars to prove his experience and intelligence.

              On the other hand, he also liked his clear skinned, un-marred meta induced physique, so it was a fair trade in his mind. Most days.

              Finally getting the beacon switched on he waited patiently for the program to narrow down on Caitlin’s location and generate its location on a map.

              “Ok just few seconds for the GPS to finish its job then we can go back to actually worrying about saving the world or reality or the souls of innocent children or whatever it is the thing you guys are hunting is after-“ Barry started looking at his phone and trying to ignore everyone else.

              “Actually, John thinks this ‘thing’ is one of those dark avenging spirit types that likes to torture and disembowel and such those people who have committed a sin. Any kind of sin, even just like having naughty thoughts.” Ray supplied.

              “So, saving the world. Got it.” Barry replied with a deadpan and earned a giggle from Thea.

              A soft beep on his phone dragged his attention back from the thoughts of some kind of demon just killing people willy-nelly in his town. That would be not fun to deal with.

            Pulling up the generated map though Barry couldn’t keep the swear from exiting his mouth.

            “God damnit Caitlin, why do you have to keep making me look wrong?” Barry threw his phone to Oliver and just let himself slump against the Hub with his head in his hands.

            “What? Where is she?” Felicity asked, panic squeaking through her voice as she worried her hands and let her gaze bore into her husband as he examined the map.

             “One of those mostly abandoned farm houses on the outskirts of Central City” Oliver responded calmly, examining the map like he wanted to memorize the terrain on the small screen. Which was probably what he was doing.

             “You mean the ones you like to commandeer as a temporary head quarters when ever you chase some big bad here, so you don’t always have to spend all your time with the STAR labs crew?” Thea asked with a bit of cheek.

             "Oh yeah, Caitlin is so in trouble” Cisco said with unusual smile which seemed like he was more interested in busting Caitlin rather than saving her.

             “Looks like we are going on a rescue mission while we wait for John to find out exactly what we are dealing with and how to stop it. Suit up, we are getting our friend back” Sara said turning to head back to the Waverider.

            “Sweet! Can I call Wally to join us?” Nate asked with an annoyingly cheerful and happy smile.

             “Nate, our friend could be in danger. This isn’t some kind of party. Wally should keep doing his usual patrol, we can handle a rescue mission with just us without his help. I mean if eight heroes can’t do it then things are worse than we think.” Oliver rebuffed the cheery man with a scowl.

            “I really wish I just ran to China when you told me the Waverider was coming” Barry murmured to Oliver.

            “I wish you grabbed me and took me with you” Oliver replied. “I really don’t want to deal with this being a misunderstanding. The thought of walk in on a naked and very much not ‘alone’ Caitlin is not appealing.”

            Barry nodded in agreement and moved off to get his own suit while the rest of the heroes did the same.

           He vaguely wondered if he should order an apology cake now or if he should wait.

_Also, is Iris going to forgive me for not tell her about beacons? Last thing we all need is a bunch of paranoid heroes tagging each other with location beacons._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this chapter is longer and shorter than I expected.
> 
> Caitlin will actually be in the next chapter I swear.


	3. Spying when you fail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay look its Caitlin!
> 
> Also my attempt at a comic book quality name!
> 
> Don't worry the awkward reality of comic book worlds where some how everyone knows everyone else once you get past the first original heroes is inbound as well.
> 
> Also I came up with a list of punny dog names just for this fic. Expect to groan.
> 
> Next chapter will probable be up in about 5 days.

             30 minutes after gathering their equipment and suits Barry was finishing a last sweep of the perimeter around an older, a little deteriorated farm house that showed new evidence of recent work to make it whole again. He absent-mindly thought that it actually kind of cozy. It definitely was the less evil lair looking evil lair he had ever set his eyes on. Especially with the little kennels that looked newly installed in the fenced backyard and the half empty trailer in the driveway.

                With a last annoyed sigh, he finally went back to join the rest of the heroes around the jump ship at the edge of nearby tree line. He did appreciate that Sara had insisted on using the ship as a portable command center so that they could share any gathered intelligence with the Cortex without any delays now that they had to piggy back off A.R.G.U.S. and communication satellites to do more than share verbal observations in the field now. Let alone scanning the town for evidence of meta-attacks.

                He should really work on getting that fixed or at least better.

                “How does it look Flash?” Oliver’s gruff Arrow voice asked as Barry came to a stop in front of him.

                “Quiet. Normal even. Only one vehicle on the property, that truck I think we saw Caitlin getting into in the security footage. There is a trailer that is half empty. Before you ask it has a couch a white board and a few boxes and bags. Honestly all the items look like stuff Cisco, Joe or I would own. Pretty boring. All the lights are off as you can see, and I didn’t hear or see any movement inside. All in all, nothing out of the ordinary.” Barry responded hoping they other heroes would just pack up and go back to the lab, or join Wally on patrol, or maybe go find some place to have fun while they are all costumed.

                He had to admit seeing them cut lose in costume would be fun, memorable and worth whatever press that got published the next day.

                “We need to get eyes inside, so we can plan our rescue” Sara forcefully shattered his hopes before they could fully form though.

                “All evidence points to this not being some kind of hostage situation but sure right ‘rescue’. And how do you suggest we get these eyes on the inside? I’m not exactly inconspicuous and the door are looked, I did check. Randomly phasing into a build without knowing what’s on the other side isn’t safe. I only like to do that if it is an emergency situation.” Barry said rubbing his eyes and groaning to himself. He left the ‘I don’t believe this is an emergency’ unspoken though.

                “I can do it!” Ray said too happily, raising his hand like he was back in his 3rd grade classroom and smiling like he was having the time of his life. “And my suit can record what I see so you can see it in real time!”

                “Dude! We can watch in jump ship!” Nate fist bumped Ray ignoring the glare Oliver was leveling on the men.

                “Remember Oliver, I wanted to just trust Caitlin and maybe have dinner.” Barry whispered at Oliver shoulder, rolling his eyes when Dig snorted.

                “Fine Ray, get in, find Caitlin and we’ll see what the situation is.” Oliver said steeling his posture against Barry’s more laid back one.

                “Don’t worry Barry I’m going to be very respectful of Caitlin’s pri- err autonomy and if I find her in a… compromising position I will do what ever I can to limit her… exposure.” Ray blushed and glossed over the fact this was all a huge invasion of privacy. Barry just entered the jump ship waving Ray off and taking one of the seats in front of the display next to Zari who had somehow gotten a bucket of popcorn.

                Barry stole said popcorn, mostly cause he’s a speedster damnit and needs to eat a lot of food. Also, its rude to treat a friend like a hit T.V. show. But seriously, he was hungry.

                “Popcorn?” Oliver’s voice sounded judgmental over Barry’s shoulder.

                “Blame Zari, I’m a speedster who needs to eat 850 tacos a day to do my thing properly. This is not me taking the situation lightly, this is me ensuring I am able to assist in any situation that may arise.” Barry defended his snack.

                “By stealing my popcorn” Zari’s supplied as she continued to snack on handfuls of popcorn from the bucket now in Barry’s lap.

                “Sara, I don’t know how you and your legends are able to get anything done.”

                “Well we have caused near world ending damage twice now so…” Nate supplies as he squeezed in on Zari’s left side.

                “Stop helping Nate.” Sara reprimanded Nata as she joined Oliver’s side behind Barry. Cisco wedged himself slightly behind Barry on Oliver’s other side and Did took Sara’s other side. Dibny stretched his head over the group to watch the feed from Ray’s helmet.

                Seeing the world from Ray’s micro barely bigger than a beetle size was kind of trippy.

                _It’s probably a good thing that the only one who wants to spend the majority of their time fight crime as an easily ignored speck is one Raymond Palmer._

                Ray entered the house through a window in the kitchen that was opened a crack. He quickly flew around the room, showing them a closed door off to the side and the sparse contents of the room. Proof the Caitlin was there, or had been at least, was her purse on the counter next to an open half emptied box of dishes. Of course, Ray couldn’t stop talking about the coziness of old house like this and all the upgrades he would make in order to ensure its livability.

                Flying into the dinning room Ray was immediately distracted by a large play pen that had been set up there with 4 puppies currently curled up and dozing on various dog beds. One of which was waking up and watching the small flying man with interest.

                “Oh my god guys, look at these puppies! Aren’t they the cutest thing you have ever seen!” Ray sounded like a 6-year-old girl who had been taken to the zoo for the first time. Barry didn’t want to let on that he was thinking the same thing.

                “Focus Ray, we are looking for Caitlin, not puppies” Oliver redirected the man.

                “But come on! Puppies! Look this one’s name tag says his name is Barktholomew! I mean can you even! That is too adorable for words.” Ray zoomed in closer to one of the still sleeping puppy.

                Barry tired to ignore the snicker from Cisco and the murmur of _Barky Allen, fastest dog alive_ from Dig.

                “Ray! Focus!” Sara barked making everyone but Oliver jump a little “And try not to be eaten.”

                “Ah captain! They’re harmless.” Ray said as the watching heroes could clearly see one of the puppies attempting to pouncing on him and him narrowly dodging.

                “Just find Caitlin already” Sara sighed.

                “Okie dokie captain!” Ray cheerfully replied and moved away from the now mostly awake and confused puppies to continue to explore the bottom floor. Not that there was much to see, except for a few boxes in the living room and little parlor off to the side of the front door there wasn’t much to see. The closed door in the kitchen turned out to lead to laundry room with a soak tub with something dark floating in it, and all the other doors on the first-floor lead to an empty office with built in book cases, a out of date bathroom and stairs leading to a very empty and dirty looking basement which was the only room so any hint of the work Barry noticed outside.

                At least he could assume that the tankless water heater and the pipes where installed the same time the work was done outside.

                All that was left was the upper floor, and Barry was eager to get the search done with if it would just get Ray to shut up for 10 minutes.

                _God is this what being a parent to a preschooler is like? How did Joe not kill us all?_

Ray’s trip upstairs was quickly derailed when he discovers a full-grown dog sleeping in the hallway. A fact that has even Oliver groaning.

                “Guys, guys, guys look! It’s the puppy’s mommy or daddy!” Ray’s voice seemed to raise a few octaves.

                “Seriously Ray?” Nate voiced the general irritation in the room.

                “Hey captain?” Ray said with a clear disregard for Nate condemnation.

                “No Ray we can’t get a puppy. It wouldn’t be fair for them to be on the Waverider all the time and you wouldn’t have enough time to spend on taking care of them.” Sara had a pained look that Barry couldn’t help to sympathize with. Ray was obviously in dire need of regular affection, or really needed cuddles and/or a puppy.

                “Mick could help! He likes animals and took really good care of Axel. Gideon could help us make a habitat for any beasty and its not like we don’t have room!” Ray whined like that 6-year-old girl again.

                “Ray stop the world tour of dogs. How does this help us find Caitlin?” Oliver’s whole body screamed ‘I’m done now, and I want to shoot something’.

                “Well Oliver its quite simple. Every door up here is closed, except for one. That one door is the door Mr. Doggy is sleeping in front of. Assuming Mr. Doggy is good boy he is probably sleeping close to his people. Therefore, most likely Caitlin and any other people in this building are in that room.” Ray sounded overly confident, but no one could fault his logic.

                Finally, Ray moved on, leaving the sleeping or uninterested dog and flying into the room with the only open door on the upper floor. However, instead of flying around to survey the room he stopped short in the entrance. All the other heroes could see was a dark room in the feed, the recording equipment in Ray’s suit obviously unable to match the man’s natural night vision.

                “Uh… guys? I know we didn’t bet or anything but if we did… well… Barry won.” Rays voice waver with obvious embarrassed.

                “What do you mean? Ray, we can’t see what ever it is you see.” Dig responded so that no one had a chance to berate Ray.

                “Opps sorry forgot the night vision. Here we go.” Suddenly the room lit up in a cliché glow of night vision. Before Ray’s position was simple bed with two boxes on one side that had a pair of glasses, smart phone and a watch perched on them like they where a nightstand. In the bed Caitlin could clearly be seen sleeping.

                A very obviously naked and only covered by a quilt and the arm of her bedmate Caitlin.

                Barry quickly covered his eyes and groaned.

                “Seriously I only needed the one experience with naked/mostly naked Caitlin thank you. I’m good now.” Barry said moving away from the display.

                “Wait when did you see Caitlin naked” Zari and Sara asked the question at the same time. Oliver just took Barry’s place examining everything in the display, but the sleeping woman and the young man curled against her back.

                “When she got stupid drunk and had a hard time changing into her pajamas. It was the less sexual experience anyone could ever experience.” Barry replied turning his back to the group and the display.

                “I don’t see any weapons, no security system, nothing in this room that raises any alarms but what looks like a knee brace on the ground. It could be a hobble or a torture device but that seems unlikely.” Good ol’ Oliver. Always straight to business.

                “Just Caitlin and some guy. Naked. In bed.” Nate supplied.

                “At least Caitlin has good taste. He’s very cute” Ray added.

                “Dude!” Nate looked really offended.

                “What? I can appreciate the attractiveness of other men from time to time.” Ray’s annoyance was clear in his voice. “I appreciate your attractiveness as well Nate, don’t be a brat.”

                Twin sounds of chocking filled the jump ship. Zari choked on her popcorn as she started laughing and Nate choked on his own saliva as he started to stutter.

                “Ok enough. As much as I am enjoying the revelations and insight into Ray’s complex psyche and sexuality he and Barry where right. It seems pretty clear that Caitlin isn’t in any danger.” “Unless the guy has mind control powers” Dig interrupted “So baring mind control, maybe Ray should just come back to the jump ship, so we can go back to figuring out what ever evil spirit John is hunting down.” Sara finished looking like Joe did when Iris got caught sneaking in late in high school.

                “Wait. Just wait one second.” Cisco said, his gaze cold and hard as he examined the bed with its sleeping, and still very much naked and barely covered occupants. “Ray can you get me a closer view on that guy’s face.”

                “Do I have to?” Ray whined.

                “Yes, I need to confirm something.” Cisco’s voice was colder than Barry had ever heard it, and Barry still remember the deep loathing and hate Cisco treated him to after Flashpoint.

                “Fine, but if you see something not PG it’s not my fault.”

                “Ray we are all adults who have had sex before, there is very little here we haven’t seen before.” Oliver sound curious and obviously didn’t notice what exactly he was saying because he just implied that he had seen as many naked men as women. Though he was Oliver and he use to be a crazy party boy, maybe he had.

                “Doesn’t mean any of us want to see it” Barry supplied so that no one else had to respond to that odd comment from the older vigilante.

                On the display the face of the man came clearer.

                “Huh” Zari said stopping a large handful of popcorn on its trip to her face. “Caitlin has good taste.”           

                Barry focused on the screen now that he had less fear of accidently seeing bathing suit areas. He had to agree, the young man on the display was rather cute.

                “I thought so, that son of a bitch! I’m going to kill him!” Cisco radiated anger that caused everyone to move slightly away from him.

                “Do you know him?” Barry was now concerned that Caitlin was in danger.

                “Is he a meta with some kind of ability to control people?” Dig asked with his hand on his gun.

                “What? I don’t know if he’s a meta, though it is possible he was in Central when the particle accelerator exploded but that’s not why he sucks. That’s Maverick Foxx man, he was a friend of Ronnie’s. And he’s an asshole and I hate him.” Cisco looked disgusted with the whole situation.

                “So bad guy? Not a bad guy but someone Cisco hates? Are we rescuing Caitlin or buying her an apology cake? Does Caitlin prefer cake? Or is she more of a pie girl?” Ray’s sounded very uncomfortable. “Also, can I leave the room that only contains our naked friend and her lover now please? I’m worried about sudden movements.”

                Before any of them could decide on a plan to get out of the awkward ‘We have no boundaries and do not trust our friend and her judgement’ situation they had gotten themselves into, or the ‘Cisco now wants to kill the man Caitlin is sleeping with’ situation the unthinkable happened.

                The phone besides the bed started to ring and Maverick Foxx started to stir in his sleep. With Ray flying inches from his face.


	4. The Darkest Secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has the scene that made me decide to post my story. It would not leave me alone so I had to write it making my projection for the next chapter a lie. 
> 
> I cried writing this (probably assisted by the song How Do You Get That Lonely coming on while I was writing it) so fair warning you may cry.
> 
> Also I introduce a nickname without context because it seemed natural. So be warned.
> 
> Also weird details important for the future ^_^

So apparently Ray Palmer needed to spend time training with Oliver and Dig to learn more tactical and critical think skills. Especially when it comes to preforming actions in the field when things go wrong.

Because instead of flying out of the room like a rational human being Ray Palmer, The Atom, time traveling demon hunting Legend deemed that the best course of action was to hide as Maverick opened his eyes. In Caitlin’s hair.

How is that even an option?

“Ray did you just hide… in Caitlin’s hair?” Oliver sounded like he’d rather go back to Iron Heights right now than spend another minute with one Ray Palmer. Barry had to agree. And Iron Heights really sucked. He missed Big Sir though.

_He should really go spend some time in China after this. Iris would probably love the vacation._

“I panicked ok! Imagine how you would feel if you woke up with a tiny flying man in your face!” Ray sounded like he was on the verge of a panic attack and Barry knew he might need coercion to move again or act rationally.

On the display they could see the man sharing a bed with Caitlin roll on to his back and blindly reach for the phone. Laying his back a bit spread eagle he put the phone against his ear and answered without fully opening his eyes. Barry couldn’t stop himself from laughing when he heard how the strange man answered the phone.

“I hate you and everything you love and hold dear” The man sounded tired and ran his hand over his face as he began to fully wake up. “Yes, Kenny I’m aware it is you who was calling me, and I stand by my previous statement. Because you’re the only person I know paranoid and neurotic enough to call me tonight now that the lab is all packed up on its way to Central City.”

The man started to sit up and leaning against the wall where a headboard would normally be. He rubbed his eyes one more time while listening to the other side of the phone. Heroes where a little surprised to see a soft smile spread on his tired face and his hand reach out and start stroking Caitlin’s skin between her shoulder blades.  

“Kenny, Kenny, KENNY! Stop. Is something on fire? Has there been a break-in and or robbery? Has someone died either by murder, accident or natural causes? Has someone been maimed or otherwise injured? Is there a chance that any of those 4 things happening before morning?” The man sigh and rubbed his eyes as he listened to the on the other end of the line. “Ok, since there is no emergency or threat of an emergency here is what’s going to happen. I’m going to hang up, your going to go home and kiss your wife and thank her for working so hard packing all week, your going to go to sleep and in the morning when I am fully awake and have the patience I will listen to what ever neurotic panic attack your having about something that we have two to three years to fix, work on or implement whatever is making that big brilliant mind freak out. You’re then going to spend the next 3 days with your family not thinking about work or me ‘cause I swear to god if you call me before Monday morning I’m going to find someway to torture you.”

The heroes where taken back when the man laughed.

“Oh of course I can think of some way to torture you, I have your wife’s phone number and email after all.  Go home Kenny. I’ll talk to you later.”

Maverick ended the call and looked at the display on his phone, outwardly grimacing.

“Caitlin did all that wake you up?” The younger man asked with a bit of hopefulness and moving his hand to stroke her hair. Narrowly missing Ray, who dodged the incoming fingers that filled the display by burrowing further into the hair around him.

Barry was really wondering what good shrink abilities where if you could easily be eaten or squashed by anyone and anything around you.

Unfortunately, or fortunately maybe (it was really hard to tell in the situation) Caitlin didn’t move or make a noise.

The younger man just groaned and stopped his pets to rub his face again.

“So, here’s the thing. We have apparently failed as adults and slept all day. I don’t want to wake you because your cute when you sleep, and I know you need it. However, I need to go get a drink to take my pills and I don’t like the thought of leaving you to wake up alone in a strange place. So, if your going to wake up in the next 10 minutes can you do it now, so I don’t feel bad?” Again, there was no movement or noise other than the steady breathing of Caitlin deep in sleep.

 “That’s what I thought” Suddenly the displayed filled with a up close and personal close up of the tattoo on the stranger’s chest as he leaned over.

_A crossed knife and gun with angel wings? That’s…. weird? Unusual? Just really specific._

“I’ll be right back, please don’t wake up ok.” The soft sound of lips kissing skin came over the feed as he obviously stole a kiss from the sleeping Caitlin. “I promise, I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Barry couldn’t help to wonder why the young man was so desperate to convince Caitlin she wasn’t going to wake up alone. All the possibilities made his stomach churn.

Ray was kind enough to turn away from the man now that he was removing the quilt from his body and climbing out of bed. Because NO ONE wanted to see just how ‘lucky’ Caitlin had gotten. The direction he was now facing did allow them to see the arms of one Maverick Foxx tuck the quilt closer around the still sleeping form of one Dr. Caitlin Snow.

_I don’t know why Cisco hates this man, he seems kind of sweet._

It quickly comes apparent that the only people left in the room are Caitlin and Ray. It was time for operation ‘Get out of the God Damn room Ray!’.

“Ray, it sounds like you’re clear. Get out of there.” Sara directed when the display didn’t show much change in Ray’s position.

“I’d love to Captain.” Ray replied with a fake amount of cheer and a nervous giggle.

“Ray.” Oliver said in a total ‘What did you do now?’ dad voice.

“Hey, have you guys seen _Honey, I Shrunk the Kids_?” Ray asked out of the blue.

“Ray…” Nate sounded concerned and tensing up.

“You know that scene where the kids grab on to the dog’s fur and ride him back to the house?”

“Ray!” The heroes all yelled in unison.

“Long story short, that movie lied about how easy it is to get out of hair when you’re tiny. I kind of maybe…. am tangled up in Caitlin’s hair and trying to get free.” Ray said in a rush.

“Can’t you just cut your way out?” Oliver said running his hands over his face and leaning against the dashboard.

“Well yes Oliver I could if I carried a knife, but as I never thought I would be in a situation like this where stealth would out weigh speed. I’d change my size but If that Foxx guy comes back before I’m fully hidden again he might see me! I’d pull but I might wake up Caitlin and she might see me! And my blasters might cause he hair to catch fire. Again, not a good idea.” They could hear the pained sigh even if they couldn’t see Ray. “Just give me a few minutes and I’ll get myself untangled.”

The heroes all shared looks that mirrored each other’s annoyance and discomfort.

“Next time I say we should just trust Caitlin and focus on what ever baddie we are facing, and no one believes me, I am reminding every one of this. All of this. And I am demanding a cookie.” Barry stated moving towards the door of the jump ship, prepared to go rescue Ray if the need arose.

“I mean it could be worse.” Zari said snickering as soft curses from Ray filter into the jump ship as he worked Caitlin’s hair from the joins in his armor’s arms.

Cisco and Nate groaned loudly and put their hand heads in their hands in unison.

“Seriously Zari! Are you trying to jinx us?” Cisco moaned with pain in his voice that made Barry wince.

“What?”

“I’m almost free guys, I’ll-“ Ray was cut off by a soft terrified sob and a faint ‘No’.

“Was that Caitlin?” Oliver stiffened, and his hand tightened on his bow while Dig moved closer in a defensive stance.

“Uh, yeah I think she’s having a nightmare…” Ray said concern dripping from his voice.

“Please… don’t! Don’t go!” Caitlin’s voice was full fear and followed by a heart wrenching sob.

The heroes stood frozen in shock listening to their friend’s terror.

“Don’t leave me… please…” Caitlin’s voice whined out softly into the quiet dark room.

Suddenly the scene on the display changed as Ray finally freed himself and the heroes could finally see Caitlin in the throws of her personal terror. She has curled up into the fetal position her face nearly buried in her knees in her sleep. Tears ran freely down her face as she made quiet little pleas in her sleep.

The one that hurt Barry the most was the soft dejected ‘I don’t want to be alone’. He couldn’t help noticing that Zari’s eyes where watering too as she watched the display with slight horror.

“Guys, should I do something?” Ray’s voice was soft and disjointed, his internal conflict evident.

Before anyone could gathering themselves enough to answer him a sharp cry of ‘Shit!’ cut through the audio feed.

Maverick Foxx, back with glass of water he quickly abandoned on his makeshift nightstand, climbed on to the bed, moving to pull Caitlin against his still bare chest. Barry vaguely registered that apparently between waking and leaving the room the young man had put on a pair of boxer briefs. At least the scene in front of them wasn’t going to be filled with unintended nudity.

The Maverick was stroking his hand along Caitlin’s side and was calmly telling her to wake up. Soft assurances that Caitlin wasn’t alone and that she was safe filled the room. He also let her know he wasn’t going anywhere.

After what felt like an eternity to the speedster, and maybe even to the other hero’s if Dibny’s horrified eyes where anything to go by, Caitlin’s eyes flew open.

“Sh-shay?” Her voice was weak and her eyes filled with new tears that began to fall with force. “You’re here, you’re here, you’re-“ Her voice broke in a way that broke Barry’s heart so completely causing him to begin crying as well as Caitlin dissolve fully into tears. Caitlin’s arms wrapped tightly around the man holding her and her face buried forcefully against is chest as her body rocked with her sobs.

Maverick never stopped running his hand along her side and reaffirming Caitlin’s safety.

After a few heart wrenching minutes Caitlin’s sobs finally softened and she started pulling away from the man’s embrace to look at his face.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to… you know” Caitlin’s voice was still filled with tears and sleep as she seemed to be consumed by a new-found embarrassment.

“Why are you apologizing? You had a nightmare and it hurt you enough that you had to cry. You did nothing wrong.” Maverick mover to stroke Caitlin’s hair, and Barry notice the tender kind look on his as one he often saw on Oliver’s or Joe’s face when they looked at their partners in quiet moments.

“You don’t want to deal with me… me being a complete emotional wreck. I shouldn’t be a wreck” Caitlin was obviously starting to cry again this time about something Barry had to admit was more of a gut punch than Caitlin having nightmares about being abandoned. The fact that Caitlin didn’t believe that she was allowed to hurt was just wrong.

“I assure you, Caitlin, I can make my own decisions of what I am willing to deal with. If you need to cry, I am more than happy to give you a shoulder to do it on. Same with anything else, laughing, yelling, screaming, singing whatever. You need someone to hold you and I’ll be there if you’ll have me, you need to be alone tell me and I’ll happily give you space. You need to hit something… give me like an hour to find an open sports store.”

“Sports store?” Caitlin’s confusion was echoed in all the watching heroes’ faces.

“To buy a punching bag. Hitting a wall hurts like 20 times more than you think it will and I love you but if I start letting you hit me and stay with you Rosie will hunt us down and murder us both without batting an eye. Then turn our bodies in to some obscure but tasteful art piece that someone will spend too much money on.” A wild smirk spread across Maverick’s face as he spoke, and Caitlin let out a full barking laugh at his explanation.

“Man, your sister is terrifying.” Caitlin said with a smile starting to form and moving closer to cuddle the man.

“I still maintain she is scariest woman living”

“You know I know an assassin, right?”

“Doesn’t change my opinion.”

The couple settled into a full body cuddle, Maverick’s hand rubbing small circles against Caitlin’s back.

“Have you been awake long?” Caitlin’s voice sounded lost and dreamy, still holding faint traces of her tears but with happiness starting to take control back.

“Just long enough to yell at Kenny and to go get a glass of water to take my pills.”

“Kenny needs get a Xanax prescription.”

“Preach it sister.”

“Why is it so dark in here?”

“Ah” Barry almost laughed at how embarrassed the younger man looked and sounded “That’s because it’s 10:30.”

Caitlin pulled out of the relaxed cuddle with a look of horror.

“We ate lunch at noon.”

“We did”

“We then set up your bed, which took maybe 30 minutes, 45 minutes if we just assume we overly bantered which we probably did.”

“Smart assumption”

“And then we ‘celebrated’ setting up your bed”

“That was fun. I definitely remember that and recommend we do it again as soon as possible.”

Caitlin smacked the man playfully on the shoulder in a way that suggested that she was agreement.

“Are you saying that we fell into a more than 8-hour sex-coma?”

“That’s what the evidence suggests, yes.”

Caitlin looked mildly shocked and then dissolved into laughter. But as abruptly as she had started laughing she stopped, jolting to sitting up right, clutching the quilt to her chest and her eyes wide with true horror.

“What’s wrong?” Maverick moved to sit up next to her.

“Oh my god! I need my phone! Now!!” Caitlin stumbled out of bed and started searching around the room frantically as she wrapped the quilt like a toga around her body.

“Why? What’s wrong”

“I didn’t actually get a chance to talk to my friends this morning and they might be freaking out. I need you to understand, my friends could be minutes away from bursting in here and of all the ways they can meet you, naked in bed is not how I want it to happen.”

The watching heroes looked guiltily at each other, realizing if it wasn’t for Ray Caitlin would be telling the truth.

“I’ve already meet Phreak.”

“Shay, stop being cute and help me find my phone.”

“Ok we are obviously in full on panic mode.” The man said with a cool demeanor. He crawled out of the bed and moved to wrap Caitlin in a hug. “I need you take a deep breath and then I can help you find your phone.”

Caitlin looked up into the face of the man who she obviously cared about and did as he asked taking a long deep breath and letting it out slowly.

“Good. Do you keep your phone in your purse?” Caitlin nodded and looked confused. “Your purse is in the kitchen.”

Caitlin’s eyes widened, and she turned and ran out of the room, quilt clutched tightly to her body.

“You realize your running through my house naked right?” The man called after the retreating woman.

“There is no time for clothes!” Caitlin’s voice responded.

The dog that had been sleeping in the hall finally decided to join the commotion and moved to nuzzle the man’s leg showing no concern for the woman running naked through the house.

“There is apparently no time for clothes, Wolfgang.” The man said giving the dog a scratch behind his ears.

“Um guys… I feel like its time I left now” Ray’s voice made everyone on the jump ship jump. Apparently, they had collectively forgotten about their camera man watching the scene before them play out.

“Yeah Ray, it is time you left.” Sara directed Ray unable to hide the budding tears in her voice.

Before Ray could fly out of the room two things happened.

Barry’s phone started to ring, and Maverick Foxx made the move to follow Caitlin’s trip down stairs, obedient dog trailing behind him.

_I really hope I can control my tears until I’m safely in Iris’ presence and arms._


	5. Keep It Cool Man

Barry looked around the jump ship, using Flash Time to collect himself and take in the current status of his fellow heroes. They all showed some sign of distress, with Cisco still showing a hint of anger in his. Oliver’s eyes where even too bright with unshed tears, the look on his face dark and stormy with his own demons.

Barry quickly wiped his eyes and took a few deep breathes steeling himself to answer his phone. He was surprised that the display on the phone he dug out of a hidden pocket in his suit showed Iris’ name and number. He was expecting Caitlin. Was something wrong?

Letting himself slow down to standard speed and quickly answered the phone, fast enough that the looks of shock on his friends’ faces hadn’t even had time to fully form.

“Iris? Is everything ok?” Barry could hear the despair and sadness in his voice and cringed.

“Its Thea actually. Iris and Felicity are blubbering balls of tears and unable to talk to you right now.” Thea’s calm but carry voice made Barry jump.

“Why are they crying? What’s happening?” And there was the panic. Barry couldn’t keep one of his friends from hurting and the thought of any of the people he cared about is distress right now was just too much.

“Did you forget that we are seeing and hearing everything you are here in the lab?” Thea   radiated calm and control without reprimanding him. Barry got the impression, not for the first time, that Thea was the member of the Queen family who should be leading the world. A few more years and making the right moves she could be an impressive politician capable of working all sides of the aisle.

“Um…” Barry had actually forgotten entirely about the Cortex and the big back Gideon was facilitating.

_Oh god! Does Gideon have a recording of a naked Caitlin breaking down over a nightmare? Must talk to Sara about deleting that._

“Thought so. Barry, I need to make sure you can keep it together.” Thea ripped Barry back to the situation at hand.

“Keep it together? What do you mean?”

“I mean you where the last one to call Caitlin. She will probably call you. I need you to keep it together. Unless you want her to know we are spying on her.”

“I can keep it together Thea! I’m not some emotional child.” The whine and the tears where clear in his voice but Barry was determined to ignore them.

“Uh huh, right. Just remember, deep breaths, big smile and keep it together.” Thea didn’t ignore the destroyed nature of Barry’s voice like he did.

Before Barry could responded a beep sounded in his ear. Looking at the screen confirmed Barry’s current darkest fear. Caitlin’s name and number glowed on screen like an accusation.

Barry felt like there was lead weight in his stomach all of a sudden and he needed a gallon of water to salvage his throat. Ok maybe he couldn’t easily keep it together. However, he believed that he can fake it. For at least a minute.

“Thea, I have to go Caitlin is calling me.” The whole jump ship went still, like a wild animal listening for a predator. At least his feeling of unrest was shared.

“Remember, KEEP IT TOGETHER!”

“I’ll keep it together Thea, relax.” Barry didn’t even believe himself and he knew no one else did either. He hung up on Thea and answered the incoming call before anyone could protest.

“Caitlin!” Barry cringed at how overly cheery he sounded and cursed himself for not having a middle ground between teary and distressed and happy-go-lucky. The look Oliver was giving him also screamed ‘Be cool man!’ and ‘Don’t make me have to shoot you’.

“Barry! I’m sorry I missed your call. I fell asleep if you can believe that.” Caitlin sounded small and guilty on the other side of the phone.

“Oh, I believe it, sometimes you just need to stop being an adult and take a nap. Just ask Iris about my silly weekend naps. Is everything else all right?” Barry felt everyone’s eyes boring into his skin. He just knew that Oliver was going to insist on a line by line break down on his conversation when they had 5 minutes alone.

“I’m good Barry. A friend of mine is moving back to Central for work and I’m helping them set up house a bit.”

“That’s good, I hope I get to meet your friend. It is always nice to meet the people important to my friends.” Barry flinched at how forced that sounded. Barry Allen is not smooth. Not smooth at all.

Caitlin apparently didn’t notice because she let out a sweet, giggling laugh.

“Yeah I want to do that. Soon. Just… maybe just you and Iris first. Or at least not with Cisco there. Cisco knows them, and they don’t get along.” Caitlin sounded really happy. It was hard to imagine that a few minutes earlier she had been sobbing in bed. Sobbing because she was scared of being alone. A fear she never told her friends about. A fear he might have helped develop by not being open and available for his friend.

God when was the last time he just hung out with Caitlin? Did he ever just hang out with Caitlin? 

_Oh God am I a bad friend?_

“Tell me a time and day and we can set up a dinner just the 4 of us. If its this weekend Felicity and Oliver can even join.” Barry suddenly stopped breathing. Caitlin didn’t know team Arrow was visiting. She didn’t know about the Legends. Barry didn’t want Caitlin to feel pressured to spend time with them instead of this man who held as she cried and promised to so whenever she needed.

“Oh? Are they in town?”

“Yeah visiting before they move on to their next secret base of operation while William is traveling Raisa for a bit.” Barry was still stiff and worried that he just ruined Caitlin’s weekend.

“I’ll see if Shay is into dinner this weekend, but I might miss them. I kind of really want to help him get settled while things are still so quiet. Hug them for me just in case.”

“I will” Barry slowly let out a big sigh hoping Caitlin didn’t pick it up. He was just going to say good bye and let the heroes rip him apart about that conversation when Barry had a thought pop into his head. A thought he needed voice now that he had it.

“Hey Caitlin, thank you for calling me back and letting me know your ok but I’m not going to keep you tied up when you could be having fun. But before I let you go I have to ask one question. You said Cisco doesn’t like this guy, can I ask why?”

The glare Cisco leveled on Barry would kill a lesser man.

“Honestly, I don’t really know, but I think a big part is that he doesn’t like Star Wars.”

“I’m sorry, what now?”

“Shay doesn’t like Star Wars, and Cisco took exception when he learned that. Oh, right Shay was a friend of Ronnie’s who he mentored when he started his PHD program a few years before the particle accelerator exploded so that’s why Cisco met him already. Um… yeah, they use to fight about Star Wars when ever they had to be in the same room without Ronnie playing referee. There might be something else going on, but that was what I always had to deal with.”

“Cisco hates someone, because they don’t like Star Wars.” Barry said it out loud so that the other heroes would know what he just heard. Barry’s head started to hurt again about the weirdness of the night. Maybe that whole evil ‘I kill sinners’ spirit was the less crazy thing he learned about today.

Barry liked Star Wars, but he couldn’t imagine hating someone for not sharing his fandom.

“I know it’s weird, but it’s what I observed.”

“Really weird… well… again thank you for calling me back. I’ll talk to you later ok Caitlin?”

“Bye Barry, you guys stay safe.”

Barry hung up his phone and finally felt like he could breath again. For all of 30 seconds.

“Is daddy on his way here with a shotgun? Should I start running now or are my limbs and body safe for the time being?” The soft voice of Maverick filled the jump ship.

Turning back to the display the heroes where surprised to see that Ray had apparently followed Maverick downstairs. Though the position of the camera it was clear that Ray was hiding in a corner in hopes of being unnoticed.

Barry understood as the light in the kitchen, that had previously been off, was on now. Meaning that the heroes that the can see exactly what was happening in the room without the night vision filter.

Barry quickly realized that the man was slightly darker skin color that Zari and that wrapped in just a quilt Caitlin looked small and fragile. Also, that Caitlin had apparently decided one of those puppies that Ray obsessed with needed to take up residence on her lap.

Caitlin laughed at the comment from the man and cuddled the puppy close to her chest.

“You’re feeling like we have been caught breaking the rules like a bunch of teenagers too?”  Caitlin smiled and for the first time in a long time Barry realized she was happy.

Caitlin snow was sitting in the middle of strange kitchen, naked saved for a quilt tucked around her body, cuddling a puppy, after having a painful to see nightmare and breakdown with an almost as naked man Barry had never meet. And she was happier than he had ever seen her, save for when she married Ronnie.

Barry felt like he was the worse human being on earth. He was also sure most of his friends where feeling the same thing too.

“I mean, you did tell me that it was possible for us to be basically SWATted any second now, so I think its best to play it safe.” Maverick sat down next to Caitlin and ran his hand along her back.

“I think we are safe for now.” Caitlin leaned against the man and sighed.

“At least Jane Goodhowl was here to help. She can scare anyone one away.” The smile on the man’s face was heartening as he scratched the puppy’s ears.

“Where you serious about me being able to keep her?”

“Of course, if you want her, she’s yours.”

“In that case I get to name her. Her name is Icee, two Es, not Jane Goodhowl.”

“Icee?” Maverick chuckled. “My names aren’t that bad, are they?”

“They're painful pun names. Icee is white and grey with icy blue eyes so my name works. Besides I thought you would enjoy the cleaver pun.” Caitlin held up the puppy in Maverick’s face.

“Pun?” He took the puppy from her and examined the puppy’s face.

“Well she’s my puppy so she gets my name too, right?” Caitlin had a look of mischief dance across her face.

“I guess- oh my God!” A look of shock entered the man’s face at a realization. “Icee Snow… you are naming your puppy Icee Snow. God, you’re either the perfect woman or proof that the world is coming to an end.”

Caitlin laughed and kissed the shocked man.

“I knew you would like it.”

Maverick put the puppy on the ground and leaned in to kiss Caitlin back.

“How are you feeling?” He asked stroking Caitlin’s face softly and looking into her eyes.

“Tired, kind of snotty and gross, and hungry. Really, really hungry. Lunch was so long ago.” Caitlin nuzzled against Maverick’s neck.

“Well we can talk about taking care of that in a minute but first honesty. You where really upset and that nightmare seemed nasty. How are you feeling? Really?”

“Embarrassed but I’m ok, really. I feel calmer and less… weak? Lost? I hurt less at least.”

“Ok, but tell me if you need something alright?”

“Alright”

“So on to the problem of food.”

“Hmm?”

“Us failing as adults means we didn’t go grocery shopping like we planned. So, we are going to have to order in from one of the few places I know are open still and will deliver out here.”

“Or… we can put on clothes and find some place open leading to us not eating naked in your bed.”

“You’re ignoring the benefits of such of an arrangement. 1. I have a lot of fun movies on my laptop that we can watch while we eat. 2. Less clothing to remove later.”

“Good points all of them. I counter with this. I have a craving.”

“Oh no. Don’t say it. Don’t say it!”

“I am really craving pancakes.”

Maverick groaned and threw his head back.

“You know I always start craving what ever food people tell me they are craving. Rosie’s pregnancies where hell!”

“Well then, pancakes? After I shower and steal some of your clothes.”

“Fine. It is a truth, universally acknowledged, to no matter where you are in the U.S. you are no more than 1-hour drive from some kind of 24-hour diner. And I happen to know one less than 30 minutes from here that has the best pancakes in Central City.”

“Sounds good.” Caitlin kissed Maverick again. “Shower time.”

“I’m going to put the puppies in the kennels outside since they have been inside all day, before we go.”

The lovers giggled and separated. Caitlin moving to go back upstairs for that shower and Maverick corralling the puppies outside. Ray took the opportunity with backdoor open to fly out and finally leave the spying behind.

He still forgot to turn of his recording equipment so the heroes where still privy to the trip back to the jump ship. Barry was very aware that everything they had seen was them really breached the confidence of their friend. Again, he wanted to make sure none of this was saved anywhere.

When Ray returned to jump ship he removed his helmet and caused the display to go dead.

“Hey guys, I need to go some place to be sad alone now. Can we go? And not talk about this?” Ray tried to smile but it was lost in the shadow of his tear-filled eyes.

No one argued, and Sara took over the controls, flying them back towards the lab. No one was speaking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter was a little bit filler but  
> 1\. I wanted a chance to have some banter.  
> 2\. It does propel the plot  
> 3\. It was fun
> 
> Let me know if you like or hate something!


	6. Wally West: The True friend! A.K.A. Wally Knows all

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys update times! Also I think I am going to have a longer story than previously thought.  
> Also I thought Caitlin's and Wally's characters/stories got really 1 note in season 3 so I went with that feeling.

The Cortex felt like a funeral. Barry had a lap full of teary Iris mirroring by Oliver, even if the older hero was more crowding Felicity into a corner with his head on her shoulder. Ray had disappeared needing to decompress from the emotional weight of being on the front lines of their giant breach of Caitlin’s privacy and confidence. Everyone else was just privately processing the night.

                Everyone was also beating themselves up for spending so little time with Caitlin.

                Except for Cisco.

                Barry was sorry to say that Cisco was still going on about how much Maverick sucked and he hated him. There where many comments about killing the man from Barry’s friend. He was sure that Cisco had to have more than a fandom argument, or at least he hoped so.

                The worse part of the situation is Barry was right. There was a recording of their attempt to spy, not just with Gideon (who was happy to destroy it) but in the Cortex’s system. The system designed to store all the data they received as long as possible. A system he didn’t know how to purge and his hacker genius where currently mid ‘we are horrible people’ cuddle or ranting about a man Barry could only think positive things about.

                _Cisco needs more time outside the lab. He’s getting to possessive._

Barry was wondering as he rubbed Iris back, knowing exactly how she felt at the moment, how long to let everyone recover before he did two things.         

  1. Regroup the heroes to refocus on Constantine’s thing.
  2. Make plans to actually spend time with Caitlin and learning about her current life and being an actual fan.



Their hardline approach to relationships and privacy had definitely blown up in their face. Not only had they intruded on a moment of ‘clothingless adult time’ but now they had the unearned knowledge that Caitlin had been having nightmares. Barry also realized his friendship with Caitlin had been totally one-sided since Ronnie died. He didn’t know anything about her life from the last three years that weren’t Killer Frost or Flash based experiment based.

Did his friend deserve people in her life who actually cared enough to ask if she slept at night? Or if she was seeing someone? Or wanted to name a puppy a painfully punny name?

Barry wonders if Dr. Finkle was available for an emergency group season at… almost 11pm on a Thursday and if doctor patient privilege extended to not turning in semi-fugitive vigilantes.

                _Not that I don’t think Dr. Finkle has put together Barry Allen and the Flash…_

Now Barry really wish he knew where these supposed best pancakes in town where because he could use a depression-easing sugar fix.

                Before Barry could voice any of these ideas, concerns and plans (or suggest that they change back into civvies and go drink themselves stupid, decide on the apology cake that was totally thing now and a friend love day for Caitlin) there was a tell-tale blast of wind through the Cortex.

                In the middle of the Cortex now stood the happy smiling Wally West.

                “Hey guys! Man, it’s really quiet today! There isn’t even any traffic out there. It so boring! Hey why don’t-“ Wally stopped finally really looking at the heroes scattered around the Cortex. “Wait what’s wrong? Oh god is someone hurt?! Is it Nora? OH GOD WHERE IS RAY!?”

                Another blast of air hit the heroes as Wally rushed out of the room before anyone could open their mouth. Even fastest man alive Barry Allen couldn’t keep up with the now panicking man.

                It was only a few minutes of trying to collect themselves before Wally returned with a dazed Ray Palmer clinging to tablet like a life line.

                “Nora is fine. She is enjoying her one on one time with Cecile and Jenna. Ray was sadly working on some kind of scientific breakthrough, so I brought him to hang out with us to get him out of his head. Seriously guys, why do you all look like you kicked a puppy belonging to a blind kid. “ Wally looked confused and hurt, looking at all the faces around him.

                It only took a second before Felicity and Zari both burst into tears, Felicity untangling herself from Oliver’s embrace and telling Wally the whole thing in an impressive display of word vomit. Wally, just calmly pulled of his mask listening to the tumbling jumbled explanation with a curious look on his face until Felicity hit the wall of “And then they decided to get cleaned up and go get Central Cities best pancakes and we just ran away. Oh god we are the worst friends!”

                “Hey, I understand the concern, Shay wasn’t supposed to get here until Saturday. I guess he set out earlier than expected. I would have chased Caitlin down, too.” Was Wally’s only response. “But seriously why is everyone upset.”

                Everyone in the Cortex was still in shock gaping at the younger speedster who waited for a different explanation. When the only one he got was their stunned silence his eyes widened, and a small uncomfortable smile spread on his lips.

                “Wait… did you guys not know about Shay? Wait! Did you guys not know about Caitlin’s nightmares?? Do you guys not talk to her or something?” Wally looked completely taken back with the room of heroes.

                “YOU KNEW!!!!?” The whole room yelled at once. Wally visibly flinched vibrating in place for a second before a blast of wind revealed an empty space where the boy had been only to replace by another burst of wind a second later and a now dressed in civvies speedster.

                “Sorry I needed a second without yelling.” Wally apologized and fingered the hem of his t-shirt. “Of course, I knew. Caitlin and I talked about all of this a lot. How did you not know?”

                The whole room just gaped at each other, searching everyone else’s face for some kind of answer to this whole situation. It seemed totally wrong to the assembled group that the one hero who knew anything about Caitlin Snow’s life was Wally freaking West. How was he the only one who knew.

                Wally wasn’t able to school his facial expressions though. His look of exasperation and shock filled his face as he looked around. He finally ran his hands through his hair as he shook his head and just sat down on the floor in the middle of the Cortex with his legs crossed in the classic kindergarten Crisscross Applesauce position.

                _Now why didn’t I think of that earlier._

“Guys… seriously, she is your friend, when was the last time you talked to her about something that wasn’t Killer Frost related?” Wally looked like a guru from old Saturday morning cartoons, wise and all knowing. Barry was incredibly jealous that the younger man could pull off ‘expert’ so easily.

                “We talk and hang out!” Dibny defended his relationship with his friend. “Last time we got coffee together we talked about… the woman who slapped me and called me a pig…”

                Barry rolled his eyes hard enough to actually hurt his head.

                “None of this explains how you actually knew about this guy before Barry and Cisco did.” Oliver pointed out, some how falling into his disapproving ‘I’m the boss’ stance without any sense of irony. Wally was apparently immune to the rougher, more determined vigilante’s presences as he just shrugged.

                “He came up a few times when we talked. He called her a few times while we were having movie nights or fun with food days. He seemed nice and Caitlin liked him, so I didn’t think anything about their relationship. I mean I thought it was kind of mean she was taking trips to hook up with him or he would visit her when she was flirting with Julian, but they never did anything. Heck, Caitlin complained more than once that she thought Julian only liked her cause she was something he could fix.”

                This time it was Cisco who broke the heroes’ shocked silence.

                “Movie nights? Fun with food days? SHE TRAVELLED TO VISIT HIM?!” Barry was beginning to wonder if Cisco’s Vibe powers would allow him to actually explode with anger.

                “I didn’t know you and Caitlin where such good friends” Iris tried to defuse the situation and satisfy her reporters curiosity all at once.

                Wally just shrugged again and focused more on his hands fingering the hem of his shirt for a few minutes.

                “We started hanging out after I got my powers. She wisely assumed that a not even 20 years old male college student might not know a lot about cooking beyond microwaving and you know how it is, speedster metabolism and everything. She decided to teach me how to cook to keep me from you know dying and as I had more and more training to try and beat Savitar and she had more and more stress with becoming Killer Frost cooking lessons branched out. First, we started experimented with new ingredients, then we decided to watch some movies, then we started a weekly karaoke night and eventually after I found out about her nightmares and I was stressed we came to an agreement. If she had a nightmare after she called Shay to talk to her down she would call me, and we would watch something stupid while I ate a 5-pound tub of ice cream with her.”

                Wally blushed slightly.

                “We where so focused on saving Iris it was nice to have someone I could just be with when Jesse was on Earth-2. And to talk to about life.” Wally explained looking frantically at Barry like he is hoping Barry would understand why he did all this with Caitlin and not Barry or Iris.

                And Barry did understand. He was so focused on changing the future, on saving Iris, he had never really thought about what Wally had been going through as a new Speedster getting use to have a new family in his life and the stress that came from all of this. He also never thought about Caitlin beyond her fears of losing herself to the budding Killer Frost.

                Barry was happy his friends had found confidants, but he was angry with himself to become so blind to those he loved in his own panic. It is extremely possible that Barry’s lack of experience being a friend to more than one person had made him bad friend.

                _Note to self, make time for a weekly karaoke night with everyone, best way to keep up to date with all my friends._

“I could have taught you how to cook and hung out with you…”Iris radiated her guilt at feeling like a bad sister, a look she had a few times growing up when she ditched him at a party or forgot about something she promised to do. Or got drunk and made him clean up after her so Joe wouldn’t know.

                “You where focused on a new relationship, not dying and then getting engaged, you where a little busy and I am not a child despite for his sister to spend time with him or anything, I just needed a friend for a bit.” Wally smiled but it didn’t fully reach his eyes. Ok, Barry needs to see about spending more time with Wally before he headed back to whatever monastery he was going to run to after this visit. And after. And spend more time with Caitlin.

                Maybe he and Caitlin could have a few fun with food days themselves.

                Barry really wanted those pancakes Caitlin was talking about now.

                Before Barry could proceed to make that thought, or the general need for food now thanks, known Nate broke in with his own thought.

                “Wait dude… While I love the fun friend ideas and all I have to ask a question. Why where you worried about Ray and not Mick when you saw us all standing around upset?” Nate made a valid observation to how they go to the revelation that the only person in the building who could call themselves a good friend of Caitlin Snow was Wally West.

                “Oh, I know Mick is fine. Maybe a little lonely. He’s been texting me non-stop since he left you guys.” Wally pulled out his phone and pulled up his text messages.

                “Hey kid the adults are hanging out wanna get a drink with me”

                “Haitcut wanted to hang out with them too so we could mayb blow somtin up”

                “I can hook you up with a girl”

                “Or a boy if yer inta dat”

                “maybe we can just get somtin to eat”

                “I know the best pancakes in town”

                “Meet me at Uncle Ken’s bar and grill after your done bein a hero”

                “It at 1800 N India st.”

                “Before you hit the farms n shit”

                Felicity jumped on Wally and grabbed the phone from his hand before he could keep reading the texts.

                “Guys would you say that this address is say about a 30-minute drive from that house Caitlin was at…” Felicities eyes where wild with fear.

                Everyone in the room went stock still realizing what Felicity had. Except for Wally who just looked confused.

                “Oh god! Mick is going to walk in to a diner with Caitlin and her boyfriend having dinner!” Nate shouted at the top of his lungs and he ran out of the room.

                Everyone else had to follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I hate it when they give real numbers in these shows.  
> In the pilot they said that Central was 600 miles from Star but if Star is where it is suppose to be base on that map in season 5 and where it is the comic that means Central City is basically Salt Lake City or like Portland, Oregon.  
> Neither as you can see are in Ohio or Missouri...  
> Also 850 tacos does not equal 10000 calories!  
> Sorry I had to voice that.


	7. So... Pancakes?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So every food item I mention is real, because I like random weird cafes and diners that serve weird food.  
> So I created a weird food diner. Cause this could exist.
> 
> Also it is time for everyone listened to Barry.

                 Barry was able to convince all of the heroes to change into civvies while Gideon flew them to the address Mick had sent Wally. He even convinced Oliver to go with a less obvious method of concealing his identity as his usual disheveled biker/homeless vet hooded look stood out more obviously in a group of well-dressed hipsters and nerds than the simple Hulk hoodie Barry shoved into his hands did.

                One thing Barry noticed was that once they were all actually on the Waverider it was harder to justify their intense need to stop a collision of Mick Rory and Caitlin Snow (and her secret boyfriend). The only thing that came close was Barry voicing his concern that Mick might have a crush on Caitlin.

                Which Wally scoffed at saying that Mick didn’t see the type to start a scene because he thought a woman was attractive and would just wait until she wasn’t with her guy.

                This fact also seemed rather possible.

                None of that changed their actions as they still told Gideon where to fly the Waverider and still tried to come up with a convoluted plan to either stop Mick before he entered the diner or convince Caitlin and Maverick to leave in a manner that didn’t seem like a lie.

                Wally suggested they just get these supposed best pancakes in Central and not worry about Mick.

                Everyone ignored Wally.

                The problem was, ironically, was that they had acted too quickly.

                Upon arriving at the address, landing the Waverider in a field an easily walked distance from the restaurant and walking said restaurant looking like the lamest superhero walk ever their error came apparent.

                The diner was populated by a middle age waitress with obnoxiously fake red hair, an angry looking Asian gentleman of undetermined linage , two truckers and a group of tired looking college kids with a collection of early childhood and adolescent health and psychology text books spread between them and half eaten plates of pancakes and eggs, refilling their mugs for what could be the first time or the hundredth time with the pot of coffee they had apparently sweet talked out of the  waitress.

                No Caitlin.

                No Mick.

                The possibility of beating either party had never occurred to them, and it only took a few seconds and a stern glare from the waitress for the heroes to wind up seated at set of tables that they moved in place to accommodate all of them and staring at the menu in their shock.

                Though Barry was really interested in said menu and wondered if Wally was right and if anyone would be upset if he ordered some Spam Musubi and an order of shrimp and fried eggs fried rice. The list of available types of pancakes was enough to make him drool.

                When Cisco was calmer Barry really needed to see about making his calorie bars more portable because he was uncomfortably hungry.

                Sharing a Flashtime conversation Wally it was quickly decided by the speedsters that food was needed and that the glares and distaste of the other heroes was worth it.

                “We are ordering dinner.” Barry says before the conversation in the real world and time gets past a frantic “What are we going to do?” from Ray.

                “Barry!” Oliver, Sara and Iris protested at the same time.

                “No arguments, I really need food and it’s the best way to hide our spying and prevent a major Mick based incident. Caitlin and her friend may wind up having a more awkward dinner than they expected but there is no rule that says we can’t have dinner in the restaurant they where going to eat at. Besides we can always use the excuse of ‘Mick told us to meet him here’ even if he only invited Wally.” Barry picked his menu back up and tried to decide on which flavor of pancakes he wanted to go with his already weird order. “If you’re not in the mood to eat go back to the Waverider, I’ll eat dinner with Wally and Mick if need be.”

                Barry then turned to Wally ignoring the other heroes fully.

                “I am ordering the Spam Musubi with my entree but those fried pickle slices sound intriguing. Should we spit an order each or get our own?”

                “Dude I can eat a whole order solo and those crab cakes are calling me and the German potato and scallion pancakes come with apple sauce. We should just order two orders of every appetizer.” Wally brandished a wicked smile at his brother-in-law.

                “Bro, what even is this restaurant?” Nate said examining his menu.

                “The boss wanted to serve all the food he loved in his travels. It’s pure Americana. Or so he claims. I think he just spent too much time high” The waitress appeared behind Oliver with out a second look as the older vigilante stiffened and developed a slightly panicked look for a second. “Can I take some drink orders?”

                “Yes, we all need coffee and I’ll take the Cherry-Pomegranate Limeade.” Barry flashed his most charming smile at the waitress. She didn’t even bother to blink at him before looking or another order.

                “A strawberry cheesecake shake, no make that a malt, and a coke for me.” Wally mimicked Barry for a second before going back to studying his menu.

                “Can I get some butter with my coffee?” Ray asked ignoring the blank look on the waitress’ face.

                “Whatever you want sugar.”

                “Thank you I’d also like one of the French Vanilla milkshakes” Ray turned to Wally, “If we order like you suggest could I just eat a little bit of each the appetizers?”

                The rest of the heroes ordered waters, or a lemonade and they waited till the waitress had walked away with a small grunt of getting those out them soon. Once she was out of ear shot Oliver leaned over with his serious mission face.

                “Barry what you seem to be forgetting is how do we justify all of us being here?” He sounded like he was trying to explain algebra to William. Which, given his general lack of advanced mathematics skills, was almost insulting.

                “We didn’t actually hear Caitlin’s fella say the name of where they were going to eat, and I did tell her that you were in town. It is entirely possible that we decided to tag along with Wally to hang out with Mick. We might even be able to lie and say we are waiting for John to get back with information about the Legends’ thing and needed food. Which isn’t really a lie.”

                “That actually makes sense” Thea said finally opening her menu. “But seriously two of every appetizer and an entrée?”

                “Eight hundred and fifty tacos a day Thea. Eight hundred and fifty. Just to be a superhero. We will eat it all.” Barry gave his most serious look to Thea and then smiled looking at his menu. “I’m ordering the Shrimp and grits with a side of linguica and I’m getting an order of the sweet potato pancakes. What about you Wally?”

                “The honey spice fried chicken with German coleslaw and curly fries. Trying to decide if I want an order of cinnamon cashew pancakes or the cherry cordial pancakes.”

                “Please don’t say your going to get both.” Iris groaned.

                Before either speedster could respond with the correct answer (Which was a resounding ‘Of course’) Nate started hitting Sara’s arm.

                “Guys, guys, guys- ow!” Sara had grabbed Nate’s hand and twisted it into a hold, glaring at him in her best ‘don’t mess with me I’m a soccer mom’ glare.

                “Use your words not your hands Nate.”

                _Ok, Sara pulls off the scary mom act to well._

                “The truck from the house just pulled up.” Nate groaned in pain, luckily forgetting he could steel up. Though in a weird diner on the edge of town the inhabitants might not look twice at a meta. Not if the possible hint of wings on one of the college students was to be considered. College students who were now packing up and looking like they needed to sleep for a week. Barry did not miss midterm projects.

                Barry briefly wondered if he could Flash them all home safely without being noticed before snapping back realizing exactly what Nate had said.

                He glanced out windows and sees what Nate saw. The truck from the house was parked up front and he could make out the dark shadows of passengers in the front. It was go time.

                Barry glanced around the table and quickly realizing the one fault in his and Wally’s plan.

                Iris and Felicity still looked puffy and red eyed. Ray looked like a puppy who was caught peeing on the carpet. Zari looked nervous and jumpy. Cisco was clearly seeing red and Barry was surprised there wasn’t steam pouring out his ears.

                Thea caught his eyes and arched an eye brow.

                “Ok guys, deep breaths, keep it cool and if you can’t keep your mouth shut about the spying then take a drink or stuff something in it. Cool, calm and collected. Cisco, I swear to god if you actually try to kill someone I’m locking you in the pipeline for a week.” Barry was actually impressed by how in charge he sounded.

                “Smile everyone, happy faces!” Thea added with a sickly-sweet smile.

                “This is going to fail spectacularly.” Dig murmured playing with his cutlery.

                “Assassins and evil archers would be more appealing.” Oliver confirms trying to relax his posture.

                As the last exhausted student filed out the restaurant Barry finally catches sight Caitlin, finally clothed, and her bed partner. It was hard not flinch in shock seeing Caitlin in an oversized t-shirt and hoodie, clothing she obviously borrowed from the man next to her as he was dressed similarly though with a denim jacket replacing the hoodie. It was also hard not feel a pang of pain seeing the happy relaxed look on Caitlin’s as she leaned against the strange man’s side and linked her arm in his.

                What Barry couldn’t stop himself from doing was the letting the look of shock set on his face as he took in said man’s appearance. Cleaned up, glasses on and hair tamed from the sleep and sex ruffled state it had been in the house it was suddenly achingly obvious that the man was younger than almost all the heroes in the dinning area.  Except for maybe Wally and Thea.

                _Oh god… How did I forget that Wally is only 22 and Thea 23, how is that even possible?_

Barry barely shook himself out of his sudden (and probably partial to blame on his new relationship with Nora) parental desire to protect the younger heroes. Feelings like that where not wise at any time, especially given that Thea could probably kill his 3 times before the ungodly amount of appetizers he and Wally where going to order arrived. And definitely unwise with Caitlin about to enter the restaurant.

                The moment a laughing Caitlin enters the diner pulling her partner behind her in a way that seems more playful than Barry had seen Caitlin without alcohol involved in to long Wally is standing up and smiling like the world was nothing but sun shine and rainbows. A smile that Barry is beginning to realize isn’t him just being happy but him actively fighting against the darker parts of his life.

                Ok Wally may be one strongest and sweetest men he knew but he was in the most need of love and companionship among them.

                “Caitlin!” Wally quickly ran to hug the surprised doctor going only a little above normal human speed in the process. Her date just looked amused as he moved a bit to the side to let Wally hug Caitlin without obstacle.

                “Wally what are you doing here?” Caitlin had to talk against the happy speedster’s collar bone due to his tight hug but didn’t sound upset. Just a little surprised.

                “We decided to get dinner while we are waiting for our resident demon-hunter to come back from an information gathering trip.” Wally radiated confidence and happiness as he pulled back from his hug.

                Caitlin was finally able to see the group of heroes behind the young speedster and awkwardly waves casting her date an unreadable look that cause him to fish out his phone, check it and shrug at her with an almost smirk that looked oddly familiar to Barry.

                “I didn’t realize everyone was in town… Is Kara going to show up any second now?” Caitlin tried to joke with a slight uncomfortable look on her face. She seemed to shrink into the oversized hoodie. Maverick’s hand reached up and gently start stroking her back eyes examining the group.

                “Hey Phreak, your looking… your usual pissed off self.” The man called over Caitlin’s shoulder, immediately shrinking back when Caitlin turned to look at him with a huff and an annoyed eye roll. His little playful smirk didn’t disappear though.

                “Keep the blood shed to a minimum.” Caitlin used her stern ‘stop trying to kill yourself’ voice Barry knew so well.

                “I never try to start a fight.” He replied and slipped his hand into hers, Barry seeing him give her a soft and affectionate squeeze when she frowned for a second. Caitlin quickly rolled her eyes and squeezed back. Barry finally let the realization that this guy wasn’t a passing fancy hit him. Caitlin actually liked this man. Maybe even loved him.

                And Cisco was a ball a fury next to him because of that fact it seemed.

                Barry grabbed the other meta’s knee and gripped it tightly in a steel grasp. When Cisco glared at him he simply shook his head and glared back. Barry was tempted to send Cisco back to Gideon. She could keep an angry meta occupied.

                “No Kara unfortunately just us.” Barry smiled like he was having the time of his life. Oh god was he smiling to much. Is this like that time he met Cat Grant?

                _Keep it cool Barry! Keep it together Flash!_

                “Want to join us for a late ‘we are totally horrifying the waitress tonight’ dinner?” Wally asked, genuinely happy to be around Caitlin and her friend.

                “I’m pretty sure the waitress is jaded as all heck man.” Maverick responded leaning over Caitlin’s shoulder again. His body language was a little clingy, but Barry could assume that was because everyone was talking to Caitlin and ignoring him.

                “I’m sorry I’m here talking talk to Caitlin and completely ignoring you. I’m Wally!” Wally offered his hand to the man who smiled and took with a swift shake.

                “Dr. Maverick Foxx, but Caitlin calls me Shay and it usually more palatable.” He responded before he slipped back to his position slightly behind Caitlin.

                “How do you get the nickname Shay with a name like Maverick?” Felicity cut in before anyone else could try and redirect the conversation.

                “You have a mother name you Maverick Shane Foxx, a sister with a slight lisp as a child and friends in high school who think calling you the ‘Shay Foxx’ is the funniest thing on planet earth.” Maverick explained without even stopping to consider who was asking. He then whispered something in Caitlin’s ear that had her looking back at him. They shared a brief conversation with their eyes before Caitlin turned back and smiled at the table.

                “We are happy to join you, Shay’s been hoping to meet you guys and I’m so hungry it’s not funny.” Caitlin’s smile was shy, and she leaned briefly against Maverick before pulling him behind her to pull another table to the large group they had already gathered for the over sized group of heroes.

                Barry watched closely noticing for the first time that the dog Ray had called Mr. Doggy was walking at the man’s side a service dog vest and harness in place. The man also maneuvered himself so that he was not directly sitting next to anyone but Caitlin and moved his undominated hand to rest behind her on the back of her chair.

                Cisco practically started to vibrate beneath Barry’s hand at the sight.

                The long hair vigilante lost all ability to stay quiet when he got a full look at Caitlin’s outfit though.

                “Seriously Caitlin? ‘Magneto was Right’? With our JOB you think you would think better of a shirt like that.” Cisco almost hissed his anger.

                Caitlin looked down and then over at her date. “I honestly can’t remember who Magneto is…?” Caitlin’s blush was almost cute.

                “He’s a Marvel bad guy, started and ran the Brotherhood of Mutants. His group was devoted to creating a mutant only society after living through the horrors the holocaust and spurred seeing that the U.S. enacting more and more laws that he saw mimicking the Nazi’s own laws and policies. While it can be argued that he is raciest in his own right, seeing mutants as superior to non-powered humans, his ultimate goal is to create a world where children and adult who had no say in who they are being safe to live their lives as best they can. “ The man explained glaring at Cisco. “I would think people who work day in and day out working with metas could understand genoism and the need protect minorities, of all types.”    

                Barry started to shift uncomfortably especially when he realized that Zari had stiffened and focused on her menu with renewed interest at the explanation. He vaguely remembered Sara saying once that Zari was from a future where to be a meta was automatically to be seen as a criminal. A future where to be born with powers was all the excuse the powers that be needed to imprison and torture men, women and children.

                Before Cisco could respond to the affront or the explanation given by the younger scientist the waitress returned with drinks and took new orders with from the new occupants (Maverick asking for a hot chocolate with mini marshmallows instead of the coffee everyone else was now enjoying and Caitlin matching Barry’s limeade order). He huffed with anger as Caitlin accepted the menu she was handed, and Barry tried to pull him away by squeezing harder only to be completely ignored.

                Barry was 3 seconds away from Flashing the man to a pipeline cell.

                Again, he wasn’t fast enough, and now he was thinking he should really start training harder.

                “And what would you know about metahumans? What this town has been dealing with for the last 5 years? What would you know about discrimination any ways?” Cisco was starting to stand up, ignoring Barry’s grip. At least he was keeping his voice down not to attract the attention of the remaining patrons.

                “Oh no what would a biracial, bisexual metahuman with a history of mental health issues and a mild physical disability know about discrimination and what is happening in Central City? Its not like I’ve been friends with Caitlin and a sounding board for some of her discomfort in the current climate, the metahuman cases she dealt with or had to deal with being one myself.” Maverick stared down Cisco, not moving from his seat.

                Cisco audibly growled making Barry jerk back in surprise.

                “Oh, you mean the relationship you where trying to establish for years!”

                Maverick raised and eyebrow and looked to Caitlin for an explanation. Caitlin just grimaced and shrugged.

                “I hate break it to you Phreak but Caitlin and I where friends from the moment we met due to Ronnie’s instance. So honestly man, I have no clue what you are on about.”

                “Come on, you where obviously trying to break up Caitlin and Ronnie the whole time they dated.” The other heroes just looked nervously at one another, though Barry did confirm: Cisco doesn’t hate Maverick Just because he didn’t like Star Wars.

                “I was what now? You realized I had 3 serious relationships during the entirety of their relationship, one of which almost resulting in an engagement, in fact I still have the ring! Ronnie and Caitlin where perfect for each other and was I devastated when Ronnie died. If the choice was I get to have my current relationship with Caitlin, developed over years of friendship and companionship and not some evil devious plans on my part, and Caitlin spending the rest of her life with her late husband it’s a easy choice. Ronnie all the way.” Maverick sighed and rolled his eyes. “For the love of all that is good and holy Phreak have you hated me for 8 years because you thought I was trying to steal Caitlin?”

                Cisco clenched his fist like he was about to vibe blast the younger

                “I KNOW WHAT I SAW YOU SELF POSSESSING ASSHOLE! YOU WERE ALWAYS TRYING TO SEPARATE THEM.”

                Cisco moved like he was going to blast, Barry moved to grab the man and Flash him away when a large hand grabbed Cisco by the scrap of the neck like a cat and hauled him away from the table.

                Everyone at the table gasped as Mick Rory growled at Cisco Ramon, his eyes narrowed in anger and holding the smaller man like he was going to throw him through the window.

                The Legends all began to stand up to pull Mick off the him, confused by the sudden enraged look in his eyes, a look none of the heroes had since before Cronos. Instead there was a crash against the table and the all turned to see Maverick with his fists against the table and his face turned up to the sky.

                “Ok Universe slash Tate, I get it. I didn’t follow the plan and now I am doomed to suffer. Thank you for the few minutes of rest and all but this is more than enough.”

                Maverick stood up and marched directly to Mick grabbing by the shoulder and pulled him to look him in the eye.

                “That’s enough, I don’t know why you’re here, but put Phreak down.”

                “Idiot was going to hurt you.”

                “He was going to try because he has no self-control. I could have handled it.”

                “He’s a meta” Mick growled and moved to glower over a wide-eyed Cisco again. A wide-eyed Cisco who was gapping like a freshly caught fish at the scene before.

                Maverick just groaned and rubbed his eyes. He gripped Mick tighter and started pulling away from Cisco.

                “Seriously this is worse than when Rosie made me go to homecoming Freshman year and you and Tate played stalker to make sure her date was ‘respectful’. Dad move away from the scared meta nerd and sit down. We are going to eat pancakes and you can tell stories about burning things. I’m sure there are some you haven’t told me yet. Didn’t I see you in the bizarre Nazi attack in the news last year burning stuff? I’m sure there’s a fun story or two there.”

                Mick stopped, tilting his head as though thinking. Slowly his devil-may-care grin spread across his face. He dropped Cisco and moved towards the table.

                “I do like pancakes and fire.”

                The heroes all stare in stunned silence as Mick moved around the young man and towards them. Mick smacked Ray on the arm and smiled at him.

                “Close your mouth Haircut, you look like you’re trying to catch flies. Let’s eat!”

                Ray grabbed Mick’s arm and pointed at Maverick frantically.

                “DAD!!??”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, did anyone else remember that Thea wasn't legally an adult until season 2? Cause I didn't until I double checked her birth date online January 21, 1995. Dude, she was 17 in season 1. 17!
> 
>  
> 
> Also if you want to know about why Magneto may be right check out this video. I decided to use some of these philosophical and moral questions when plotting my story.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xE6Pb5y9hs


	8. Life is Strange man,

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yeah the fact everyone knows everyone else in comic-book stories is my guide.  
> And Mick Rory my spirit animal.
> 
> We need more Mick.

                 The heroes all stared in silence at everything happening. The truckers had apparently decided this group of people where not ones to stay around and slipped out of the restaurant. Now they only had to deal with the waitress who had disappeared to the kitchen and the cook.

                Maverick was the one to break the silence with a loud groan. The heroes all snapped to him, watching as he massage his temples while looking like he had long suffered some trial.

                “Dad, just on context clues I’m going to guess these are some of the people you been working with for the last few years.”

                Mick grunt and shrugged.

                “The people you promised Rosie to you would give our information to in case something happened. Granted it was because she was pregnant in full on panic-nesting mode, but you did promise you would do that.”

                Mick looked back at the man and shrugged again.

                “I told Gideon, she could do that.”

                Maverick rubbed his eyes and bent over for a second, looking to Barry like he was about to put his head between his knees and hyperventilate.

                “Oh, you’re so lucky Rosie isn’t here ‘cause I can just imagine how pissed she would be to hear those words come out of your mouth.”

                “Nothing is going to happen without you two knowing about it.” Mick reassured in his gruff way and moved back to push Ray back in his seat and take the one next to him. “ ‘Sides, promised your mother we wouldn’t tell anyone.”

                “Not sure that was supposed to extend past making sure the feds couldn’t use us as leverage against you, and I know that she only asked that cause there would always be two of you.” The man finally straightened back up and just shook his head. “You know what I’m not going to fight about this now as your logic has always been akin to trying to bail out water with a colander and while I usually enjoy the mental exercise I would rather figure out why Phreak here decided that attacking me for something that I apparently did in some bizarre alternate timeline.”

                “More possible than you might think.” Dibny supplied breaking out of the collective stupor now and apparently enthralled in the scene. Barry wanted to glare at him disapprovingly but could tear his eyes away from Cisco and his new foe

                “Not apparently, I saw what you did.” Cisco said with a dreamy voice, looking like he was watching a horror movie unfold before him.

                “What was that exactly? Because I have no clue what you are talking about.”

                “I saw you shove Caitlin against a wall and try to kiss her.”

                “I did what now? When was this? ‘Cause full honesty, I don’t think I’ve ever even fantasied about shoving someone against a wall to kiss them. Not that I have an issue with… you know what that’s too much information even for me.” Maverick blushed and shuffled his feet in discomfort.

                “When Ronnie gave you that tour for your profile on STAR labs.”

                Maverick stared at Cisco in total silence for 30 seconds. Barry kept the time on by steal super speed glances at his watch. It was a shock when he started laughing and clutching his side like they hurt.

                “Not a reaction I expected to be honest.” Thea dragged the eyes of the heroes to her. Thea just smirked and shrugged. “This is better than reality T.V., what can I say.”            

                Felicity tilted her head in agreement and turned back to watch the man laughing in front of a stunned and frustrated Cisco. Barry instead turned his attention to Caitlin who was now standing up in front of her chair with her serious mystery face.

                “Um, Cisco that was less a sexual assault and more a ‘me trying to catch someone before they hit the ground so they wouldn’t hurt themselves when they collapse’ situation. I mean Ronnie was there too, so it would have been a really stupid time for someone to shove me against a wall and try to kiss me.”

                Cisco snapped out of his stunned silence and stared dumbfounded at Caitlin.

                “Collapse? What…why… how?”

                Mick growled.

                “Why didn’t I hear about you collapsing?”

                “I had a panic attack!” Maverick gasped and lifted his glasses to wipe his eyes. “Like the worse I’ve ever had. I even dissociated and was particle catatonic for like 72 hours or something like that. Seriously, the last thing I remember from that day was Ronnie sounding fuzzy and far away as the world went tilty and I tried to catch my breath. Next thing I know its Sunday morning and I waking up on Ronnie’s couch while Caitlin is yelling that if she can’t get me to eat more than toast and hot chocolate she was driving me to psychiatric hospital herself.”

                Maverick paused and looked over at Mick with an eye roll that screamed past teenage angst.

                “And I never told you guys cause Tate and you always responded to me having a bad attack by either ‘kidnapping’ me to make sure I was safe for weeks and or trying to kill burn or destroy whatever cause said attack. As amusing as that was when I was 14 I was 20 at the time would rather not have to explain to my thesis advisor why I disappeared for 3 weeks and watch news reports about STAR labs burning to the ground in an overly elaborate form of arson or that Harrison Wells was found tortured and shot in some warehouse somewhere.”

                “Wait Wells? What did he have to do with this.” Barry asked knowing that the man who was thought at the time to be Harrison Wells was in actuality Eobard Thawne a.k.a. Reverse Flash. He had to know what other horror the villain had perpetrated in his quest to make his nemesis and get back to his own time line.

                “He triggered it.” Maverick said simply with a shrug.

                “Triggered it?” Cisco asked still looking dazed and confused.

                “The son of a bitch kept touching me.”

                The heroes all jumped when Mick audibly growled again and slammed his fist on the table.  “You should have let me burn the fucker then. If he hurt you in any way I’m stealing the Waverider right now to do it anyways.”

                “We already killed him Mick” Sara reminded the pyromaniac.

                “Twice.” Iris added.

                “Seems like time for a third then” Mick growled.

                “Time line Mick.” Nate calmly reminded the older Legend.

                “Mick, he didn’t hurt Shay, he just… touched him. A lot. Even after Shay told him politely he would rather not be touched at all.” Caitlin’s calm voice reprimanded Mick and she surprised the heroes by moving to hug Maverick and gently drag him away the still in shook Cisco and back to his chair and the dog who immediately whined and rubbed his head again his owner’s leg.

                “You hate me because Caitlin is a nice woman who didn’t want someone to physically injury themselves when they weren’t all there at the moment. That’s just sad dude. Especially considering at the time I was more likely to try and steal Ronnie not Caitlin because we knew each other longer. But then again you are a rather heteronormative moron at times, I mean you never even noticed when Rathaway was flirting with you.”

                “Cisco sit down and act like an adult.” Caitlin’s voice was cold and harsh. Cisco blushed and took his seat back. “If you try to attack Shay again I’m going to break in your apartment and dye all your t-shirts pink.”

                Cisco stared at the table with wide unseeing eyes. Right when the heroes where starting feel uncomfortable at the quiet distant look on Cisco’s face and Mick’s look that screamed evil plans Zari clear her throat.

                “As fun as these revelations on why we shouldn’t jump to conclusions are do you think we scared the waitress away? I could really use some pancakes now.” Barry couldn’t agree more, he was just afraid to voice it.

                “Hey Doll!” Mick yelled towards the kitchen.

                Everyone blinked in surprise as the waitress stomped towards the table, slammed a beer in front of Mick and glared down at him.

                “You ready to stop trying to get the cops out here Mick? ‘Cause Mikey is ready to come knock some sense in to you if you can’t keep it calm.”

                “I’m good, Doll, we want to order food.”

                “You’re lucky Mikey hates kicking people out and is intrigued about what this group is going to order.” The waitress pulled her pad again “Order away.”

                Wally ordered for most of the table, baring Oliver and Sara whose control issues would make ordering for them an unwise choice, Iris visibly groaning when he did in fact order himself both typed of pancakes. The heroes where surprised when before she ran their order back Mick handed her a wad of cash and she locked the front door in response.

                “Figured we wanted some alone time.” Mick took a swig from his beer.

                “Beer isn’t even on the menu!” Nate exclaimed now that the waitress retreated back to comfort of the kitchen.

                “I remember this place from when I was the force. The owner had multiple arrests for possession of stolen goods and thief back in the day. CCPD thinks he uses this place to launder money or help suspects escape. I know everyone who works here has a record of some kind.”

                “Doesn’t launder, match maker. Hooks up crooks with crews that meet their skills.” Mick corrected. “Also provides neutral ground for first meetings. April there use to be a decent con woman and worked a corner over on Rose street for years. Next to Sinners and The Motorcar this was Snart’s favorite place to eat. Good place to find new talent without worrying much about a badge.”

                “When I decided to go to CCU for their chemistry program Tate insisted on stopping here to eat when ever he came to visit, usually when he had a heist planned, or I was in or out a dorm before getting my original crappy apartment. Half the customers are college students who want weird filling food and don’t care if there is a murdering sitting at the next table. It’s perfectly safe.”

                “Barry, I really wish we just ran off and trained.” Oliver finally spoke up after everything that has happened in the last 10 minutes.

                “Wait, wait, wait…” Felicity closed her eyes, shakes her head and holds up her right hand. “Tate… that’s Yiddish for father… OH MY GOD ARE YOU SAYING THAT LEONARD SNART IS YOUR FATHER! THAT HE AND MICK WHERE A COUPLE! LIKE A ‘COUPLE’ COUPLE!!” Felicities eyes where wild but perfectly displaying the emotions now flowing through out the table.

                Caitlin groaned and laid her head in her arms on he table.

                “I’m sorry, eating pizza naked in bed was the better idea.” Her muffled voice brought a smile to Mick’s face and a laugh from Maverick.

                “You really never told them.”

                “What was I supposed to say? ‘Hey guys remember those guys who kidnapped me and tried to kill Ba-The Flash on live television? Well it turns out they are the dads of a friend of mine who Cisco hates and Dr. Wells was weird to, so he yelled at them and told them if they touched me again he was going to do something about it. But he won’t help us find them cause their still his dads and he loved them even if they maybe evil bastards.’?”

                “That sounds about right.” Maverick smiled and rubbed Caitlin’s back. “Also, they were not a couple, they just co-parented. I asked once, Dad was very uncomfortable at the idea and disappeared for like 4 days.”

                “Didn’t seem right to split up the kids when we basically lived together anyways. Snart could stand not having Lisa and couldn’t image his kid not having his sister around.” Mick slammed his now empty beer bottle down. “Besides what did I know about raising a kid, he was a better parent and capable of making sure you two didn’t die.”

                “Oh please, I have pictures that prove that you where a good dad. And I will share them with all those who want to see proof that Mick once let my sister dress him up as a princess and have tea parties along with other stuff. Don’t let him fool you he’s a big softy. Cries when Ol’ Yeller dies and everything.” Maverick smirk at Ray, who was still gob smacked and now perking up at the thought of seeing those pictures.

                “Kid” Mick growled threateningly. Maverick just snickered.

                “Can’t scare me off, I know you love me too much to be more than annoyed. Plus, if you’re mean to me I won’t let you play with my puppies.”

                Mick played with his empty bottle and looked oddly thoughtful for a second.

                “You have puppies?”

                Caitlin started laughing at that.

                “Oh god, life is so weird, and this is oddly one of the happiest times I have had in a long time.” She explained when Barry shot her a curious look. “The guy I… like… is finally meeting my friends, in a train wreck of a meeting that is feeling like one of those say time shows where the host does lie detector test to see if someone is cheating, Oliver looks like he’s ready to pull a Mick and burn this place to the ground to get away from it, Cisco is having an existential crisis, Ray looks like he just found out Santa was actually his mom the whole time, Wally looks like he is having the best night of his entire life, and I’m pretty sure if Felicity was a computer we would need to reboot her and defrag to get her functional again.”

                Caitlin leaned over kissed Maverick without a hint of shame.

                “Now we just have to wait for the world to blow up around as it is want to do.” She murmured against him.

                Everyone groaned when Sara’s phone started ringing,

                “You jinxed us, beautiful devil woman.” Maverick sighed and closed his eyes to lean again Caitlin as she laughed again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I grew up with a parent with bi-polar disorder with an anxiety disorder and a sister with the same. There were times when the only way their brains could process the stress caused by a panic attack to dissociate so that the person can have a break from said stress. Its really weird to see on the outside and usually there are other factors, like physical strain, emotional pain and other stuff.
> 
> Also on a happier note, I know this is a weird chapter, but I wanted to get out some background and make Cisco less pounchy so next chapter we get more 'Why the hell are the legends even here' and 'will Caitlin ever find out that she was spied upon'


	9. In comes John! Finally!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading my crazy writing.
> 
> More to come soon. If you want to see the thing I describe let me know.
> 
> As always comments are appreciated.

                “I’m sorry to interrupt your mission Captain Lance, but Mr. Constantine has contacted me. I believe his intelligence gathering efforts have been fruitful.” Gideon’s calm voice rolled out of Sara’s phone with too much clarity, emphasizing the less than human nature of the caller.

                “Does he need us all to gather now? We just ordered dinner.” Sara sounded tired and Barry wondered if the Legends needed a vacation too. Maybe once whatever they were hunting was taken care of Barry could convince everyone to run to some part of the world without wifi and spend a week sleeping.

                “I don’t believe so, he was asking where you and the team are, so he could debrief you. Apparently, my health and safety rules aren’t conducive to his preferred method of brainstorming. What would you like me to do Captain?”

                “Just give him our location, we can talk here. It’s too much work to relocate. Plus, I think Barry would kill us if we made him abandon his dinner.”

                “Very well Captain. I will send him to you as quickly as possible.”

                “Speed isn’t- and she hung up. A glorified computer hung up on me.” Sara looked at Barry with annoyance. “You should program her to be more considerate.”

                “I’ll get right on that. Since I have all that free time not murdering everyone and all.” Barry’s dry response earned a snicker from Zari, Nate and Iris and he went back to focusing on the younger man who had joined them.

                “So how did you know Ronnie?” Barry wanted the drama to come to an end. Felicity on the other hand was keeping up with her Blue Screen of Death mental status and was unable to drop the subject.

                “Wait, I’m just trying to understand this. You are Mick Rory’s son?”

                “I took some structural engineering classes while I was working on my PhDs and one of my professors asked him to try and talk me into changing areas of focus from Chemistry and Astronomy. He realized it was a lost cause, but we had similar interests, so we just started hanging out because he didn’t want me to fall into the rabbit hole of grad school idiocy. And it depends: Mick raised me as one of my parents, but if you mean by biology then no Mick Rory isn’t my father, he’s my half-sister’s father.”

                “Does any of this matter?” Oliver sounded like he was ready to go back to the lab and find a storage room to lock himself away in.

                “I have to know! Heatwave and Captain Cold had kids! And where apparently loving, supportive and caring parents! How does this not blow your mind?”

                “Because I like to think anyone can be a good parent even if they are cold hearted murders and thieves.”

                “But!”

                “Can we just eat?” Wally pleaded seeing the waitress come out with the first tray of food. “Whether or not Mick and Leonard where a couple or who Shay’s father was has no impact on us eating all this food.”

                “I mean come on what about the fact that there has been no mention of a mother in all of this?” Felicity ignored the plea and absentmindedly grabbed a fried pickle from the plate placed near her.

                “Kid’s mom ain’t in the picture.” Mick responded.

                “Never knew her.” Maverick said at the same time.

                “How is this not driving everyone insane!?”

                “Mick and Snart had sex, just maybe not with each other.” Sara added when Mick glared at her. “They had a past before they tried to fight against the Flash. Them having kids doesn’t change anything. Though it is nice to know that if Mick get lost in time or dies there is someone we should contact.”

                “Thanks, it would be nice to know if all my parents are dead or not.” Maverick smiled at the assassin and stole one of the plates of onion rings. “Now can we talk about something other than my parent’s sex life. I like to think I am an enlightened individual but that is a bit too much thank you.”

                “Do you really not like Star Wars?” Ray asked finally breaking out of his ‘Mick Rory is a father’ stupor.

                The whole table groaned as Ray and Maverick launched into an in-depth discussion about the nuances of the Star Wars franchise as they ate and the rest of the table (read Iris, Felicity, Zari and Sara) started asking Caitlin questions about her life. Barry snorted when he noticed that they kept skirting around questions about her nightmares and instead asked about the karaoke nights Wally mentioned and subtle questions about her relationship with Maverick.

                Everyone else just ate the weird combination of food the restaurant boasted and had their own smaller side conversations, mostly Mick trying to talk Wally in joining him in setting off fireworks and maybe burning down an abandoned barn and Nate jumping in every now and then to defend Ray’s argument for Star Wars.

                As they cleaned more and more of the plates brought out by the waitress, the stories started. It was amusing to see the ‘not a hero’ among them look around the table every now and then trying to discern if they were being legit or not. Barry had been there and some of the stuff even he would double take on.

                Barry had to admit that despite the fact that earlier that evening they had watched a naked Caitlin crying in bed and he had to stop Cisco from vibe blasting an unarmed man it was actually nice. Especially given the fact he got to fill his starving belly with lots of delicious food.

                Barry had to add this place to his Flash approved snack break list.

                He also was wondering if Oliver would kill him if he started blogging again to talk about all the great places to eat in Central. He did have a lot of experience in that area after all. Iris might be ok with that.

                Finally, they got to the point where the only people eating were Barry, Wally and Mick, most of the plates had been removed and Sara was fully annoyed. Because John Constantine still hadn’t shown up. Sara made multiple comments about tagging the man which made Barry squirm when Caitlin shot him concerned looks.

                Nate was currently in a story about Amaya sweet talking a T-rex when a snore interrupted him mid-sentence. Looking over everyone snickered when they saw that Caitlin was slumped against her date, breath even in sleep, with Maverick holding her against him with a protective arm.

                “Did she seriously fall asleep?” Iris looked confused. Barry could understand, Caitlin was usually to put together to just fall asleep in the middle of a meeting of any kind.

                “Happens all the time, my fragile male ego wants to think I’m just that safe and comforting, and not at all that I am soft and squishy.”

                “I don’t know handsome, I think it’s just you’re so attractive she is passing out from the beauty of it all. I know I could.”

                All the heroes jumped seeing John Constantine now standing at the table lit cigarette dangling from his mouth.

                Maverick just arched an eyebrow and smirked. “Sorry, I don’t date blondes or cheat. Move it on Prince Charles.”

                “I like you, we’ll talk later.”

                “Hands off my kid, Trenchcoat.” Mick growled.

                “John you found out what we are hunting? Can you just tell us and not hit on people?”                   

                “No promises, lovie.”

                “How did you even get in here; the door is locked?” Dig asked looking around the restaurant.

                “I can’t reveal all my secrets, hot stuff. Or any of them really.”  

                “John.” Oliver’s tone echoed Barry’s and his exhaustion. This night was to0 long for cheeky banter.             

                “Sorry, right, business before pleasure and all that Mate. I just got done talking with a rather persnickety angel and her harpy bingo partner and I have to say I am happy you’re hanging around here Oliver. You could be of some use.” Constantine pulled up a chair, grabbed some Spam Musubi from the plate Barry commandeered (ignoring the pout Barry threw his way) and pulled several pieces of paper from his pockets.

                “What we are hunting dear Captain is a Huntress. I hope you’re ready for a fight.”

                “I’m sorry, you’re in 2018 to hunt Oliver’s ex? I mean I don’t like her much, but I don’t think she is demonic.” Felicity looked offended at the notion.

                “Unless Oliver here some how seduced an ancient force with designs to protect the innocence and virtue of all woman, which I don’t doubt that he could do with those rugged good looks, I believe our target is different. I am talking about a Huntress of Artemis, vengeful spirits bound by the ancient magic of the Maidan Goddess of the Hunt whose intent is to hunt down all those who would corrupt her followers.”

                Constantine separated out what appeared to several pages of some yellowed book. Images armored abnormally beautiful women with wings and silver hair and armor adorned them, each one with a matching silver bow and quiver of arrows. The few images showing close ups of their faces showed them to be angular and sharp, harsh with an almost alieness that was haunting with its beauty, the topper being the pupilless silver blue eyes artfully painted on the pages. The text surrounding the images appeared to Greek mixed other symbolic languages.

                Barry shivered thinking about the coldness they artiest put into those faces and the demeanor of their forms. Whatever evil they bring Barry wasn’t sure we wanted to see it.

                “These lovely ladies are usually women who were corrupted by their own hatred following trauma and given their natural energies to the Goddess though some were also infect by demons who tried to possess weakened women and corrupted by the darkness in the ladies and made to believe they were always the Huntresses. That’s how corrupting this force is. Most of them were destroyed by magicians who followed Hera or Athena millennia ago, but a few were imprisoned in an interdimensional plane when their loved ones couldn’t stand to see them ended.”

                “And thus, we freed them when we broke time. Again.” Sara looked tired at the thought of this unending problem. Barry had to agree, he messed up plenty and he lived in fear with what his next mistake would bring. The legends must struggle all the times with their mistakes.

                “How can we defeat this Huntress spirit, John?” Oliver took one of the pages to examine it closely, glowing softly for a second when his fingers touched it. He shot John a look for a second before he went back to examine.

                “Sorry about that, Mate, I had to, let’s say liberate, these pages. Angels aren’t always happy to help mankind and this one can be a right cunt. She specifically dislikes me for some reason. You stop one little Armageddon and its instigator never forgives you.” Constantine stole a potato pancake from Wally somehow making it out without getting a fork in the hand from the speedster.

                “As for how we defeat this right bitch there are few actual methods. Those who follow Apollo the god of light and the sun; truth and prophecy; archery; medicine, healing and plague; music, poetry, and the arts can usually stand up to them in a battle with some success. So, us having two archers helps.” John turned to Barry and smirked, giving him an overly lingering once over. “And it is far to say you all stand for truth. I could even argue that some of you could even be seen as a type of artiest, if you want to see an engineer or technical designer as an artist. In fact, if we had a doctor we might even be able to create a circle to trap, destroy or strip the lass.”

                “Girley sleeping against the kid is a doc.” Mick supplied finishing of a large plate of fried rice.

                “Bio-engineer.” Maverick and Cisco supplied at the same time.

                “No Mr. Polar Bear, those are my cupcakes.” Caitlin murmured in her sleep when Maverick shifted slightly.

                “I believe that could work if I could get the right supplies, despite whatever that was just now.” Constantine looked thoughtful, smirking slightly at the sleeping Caitlin.

                “I believe a polar bear is stealing her cupcakes.”  Maverick smirked back at the warlock, and stroked Caitlin’s hair as she buried her face deeper into his chest with another murmur of ‘Mrs. Penguin gave them to me not you’ from the woman.

                “Dreams have power, handsome. Only way you can really know what a dream is really about is to enter it. Not the time for that now unfortunately. Maybe if you two would like a private session with me once we take care of this right nasty I’d be more than happy to explore them with you.” Constantine winked

                “HANDS OFF MY KID TRENCHCOAT!” Mick roared.

                “And again, I have a rule: no blondes.” Maverick replied.

                Barry was a little uncomfortable with implication that Caitlin could have a threesome, and that her maybe boy friend would be ok with that.

                “We'll get back to that later. I’d love to know the story behind that blonde rule some time.” Constantine smirked again and turned his attention back to the more reserved heroes.

                “We could extract the Huntress from its human host if I could get the right supplies and equipment. I will warn you that we are on a bit of time clock. The disorientation of being in this time period is the only thing that has kept her from filling the streets of Central City with the blood of men. One shock, one crime in her hearing or eyesight, one slight and the death can rain.”

                “I rather save a traumatized girl if possible.” Ray supplied. Barry gapped in surprise as Ray took that moment to also gently wipe Mick’s face where a few stray pieces of rice were holding on. Wally just smirked at the sight, looking like he won the lotto.

                _Nope! Can’t deal with that now. I refuse._

“What supplies do you need John? Though I swear to god if send me on a wild goose trip to get you a back scratcher again…” Felicity’s kind eyes screamed murder at the thought.

                “Most of it is quite simple my dear bird. I have most of it on the Waveriser and the few bits and bobs I don’t have are easily gathered. The most difficult item is locating a particular artifact. That may be the crux that removes separating the darkness from the victim. I have never seen or heard of this item until tonight.”

                “What is the artifact?” Thea asked looking like she had a plan. Barry would guess that she had a plan and a backup planned. Thea and Snart would have been best friends and given Oliver more grey hairs than he currently has.

                Constantine smiled like the cat that caught the canary and flipped over one of the pages. The illustrations of the inhumanly frightening women gave way to diagrams of what appeared to be some kind of eye. The symmetrical pointed oval shape had a circle perfectly set in the middle with what appeared to be gem set in it. 6 evenly spaced spokes came of the circle creating a sunburst design. Two half circles flanked near each point and a last circle laid on top the whole design. The diagrams showed the object in multiple angle with a final illustration of the object on a coiling chain.

                “This” Constantine pointed to the images. “Is an amulet called the Sight of Artemis. Created by a what you might call a priestess of the goddess, a witch in practice named Alyona my sources say, at the height of the followers of Hera and Athena destruction and eradication of the Huntresses some 7000 years ago. She designed it to remove the Huntress’ spirit from the girl it was bound to. Stories show she had one success before she was slain by an angry father and follower of Athena in a now lost temple of Artemis. The best part is it was last seen right here in Central City.”

                “Do I have to try and rob a church again?” Barry hoped his reluctance was audible to the other heroes as it was to him. He was willing to do a lot of things to save innocence civilians, but robbing churches seemed wrong.

                “This is where we hit our biggest obstacle to saving the girl opposed to just destroying her with the spirit. The Sight was stolen from the Central City Museum during a traveling exhibit on the jewelry and fashion of the ancient world, though it was mislabeled at the time as a ceremonial piece and linked to a temple of Athena instead. Most likely gifted to her temple as the spoils of war. The exhibit traveled from the Smithsonian in ’91 and the robbery took place here that September.”

                The heroes all tensed up and stared at one another. As a mass they all turned to stare at Mick. The silence in the room was palpable as Mick continued to work on the last plate of fries. It felt like an eternity Mick looked up and meet the stares of his dinner mates.

                “What?”


	10. Fun With Time Master Caused Brain Damage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a shorter chapter than the others but the next bit takes place like all on the Waverider so I decided to finish off the diner bit before I moved on.
> 
> Like I said, totally lied about the number of chapters.
> 
> Remember comment if you want to tell me something, I am beta-less so it helps me find mistakes.

               “Come on Mick! How can you not remember if you robbed the Central City Museum in ’91? Don’t guys like you keep track every score they ever done?” Nate looked like he just found out that Abraham Lincoln only ran for President because he lost a bet with a whale over a game of poker. Barry had to restrain a reminder that Snart was the one most likely to keep the important records and Mick the one to remember only the fun stuff.

                “I remember the good jobs Pretty. The jobs at that museum always sucked. Couldn’t burn anything and Snart had all the fun. We hit more times than should be possible and we only got ugly pieces of canvas and tacky trinkets. The only time that stands out was when a hostage knocked over a bit in an island life thing and I got a nice fire with screaming morons.” Mick was humoring the heroes by examining diagrams, squinting his eyes and occasionally knocking his fist against his temple.

                “I don’t know… could be a piece of shiny we nicked once. I-“ Mick growled in frustration and threw the page a way. Barry winced slightly when he grabbed his beer bottle and drained half the contents before slamming it down on the table uncomfortably close to the unknowably old page. He remembered briefly Ray telling him that Mick had been enslaved by the Time Masters and they had liked to mess with his mind.

                It had to be frustrating not to know if you don’t know something because you never knew, you forgot naturally, or someone ripped the memory from your head.

                “Hey big guy its ok. We have a time ship remember? We can just visit then and either take it before it’s stolen or find out where it wound up.” Ray placed a comforting hand on Mick’s, who surprised all the on lookers by not shaking it off, even if he did made a fist and leaned toward the table with a slight pained look on his face. Mick squeezed his eyes painfully together and for a second Barry was terrified he was going to cry.

                If one more of his friends cried that night, he was a goner.

                … _When did Mick become my friend?_

“Can I look at that?” Maverick asked pointing at the neglected page. When all the heroes look at him in dumbfounded confusion he rolled his eyes and sighed in a way that had Barry kicking himself for not seeing the resemblance to Snart. “Do you think I threatened my parents with just outing them as parents? I know about a lot of their stashes and jobs, Tate never tried to hide any of it from us. Its scarier to know you can lose a nest age and your kid if you touch someone than it is to just worry about your kid being used against you.”

                Barry just shrugged and motioned for Ray to hand over the page. Barry noted that he did so without moving his hand from Mick’s. Yep tonight sucked and was too weird. Once they finished whatever crazy thing they had to do to keep people from dying he was grabbing Oliver and running them someplace quiet and peaceful. With a flask of Flashproof alcohol and no cell phones.

                Maverick examined the page for a second, tilting it in different directions before putting it down. For a moment he looked like he was mimicking Mick as he screwed his eyes closed and leaned forward. Barry was amused to see him tapping his finger in a manner similar to Snart when he was contemplating a plan. After a second a smirk crossed his face and his eyes popped open.

                “The Girl Who Owned A City.”

                Before any of the heroes could respond to the randomness of that statement Mick snapped his head up and flashed a killer smile at the man.

                “Angel ’93.” Mick nodded to himself and turned Constantine. “Yeah, we pulled that job. Don’t know where the trinket is though. We never fenced that piece.”

                “I’m sorry are we playing a weird word association game that only the criminal under belly can understand? Cause none of what just happened made any sense!” Nate looked like his brain was about to leak out of his ears.

                “First, Rude. The only crime I’ve ever committed was shoplift once in middle school and when I picked a few locks for dorm mates in college when they forgot their keys. Second, _The Girl Who Owned A City_ is a book. 1975, Post-Apoc, female lead, apparently a favorite of my mother. She had a habit of slipping pictures, notes, cuttings and other little souvenirs in the pages of her books. I have most of them, so I’ve looked over a lot of those little pieces of ephemera thus I know what is in them.” Maverick tapped the page and smiled at Nate. “There is a picture of my mother wearing that, in the pages of _The Girl Who Owned A City._ Since I know Dad would have read that copy, because he read all of her books he even bought/stole her a few of them, it was the best way to spur his memory.”

                “It was good, Snart even enjoyed it and that jackass hated reading anything that couldn’t help him steal better.” Mick leaned back and hummed quietly at the thought.

                “Supervillain book clubs, these are a thing.” Cisco groaned.

                “If you’re Betty had this bauble she may be the key to taking out this beastie.” Constantine stubbed out his cigarette and smiled like he was about open all the Christmas presents ever.

                What was surprising then was that Maverick and Mick laughed at the warlock.

                “Good luck with that.” Maverick said with a snicker still racking his body.

                “Angel is dead, Trenchcoat. She ain’t exactly talking to anyone.”

                “Tate and Dad’s stashes are comprised mostly of art, gold bars and other bits hard currency that is harder to trace, statues and collectables. The few I’ve seen had no jewelry unless you count a few loose gems. If its not made of gold Aunt Lisa won’t have it, if its not a piece of native jewelry or artifact Rosie won’t have it. That leaves it either in the ‘Mom’ truck or in the possession of one of the random street girls or boys she apparently liked to adopt like puppies.”

                “Well then let us go ahead and get a look into that trunk before we start searching through time and space for those cherubs or the lady herself.” John rubbed his hands together and slipped out of his chair with a slick grace.

                “He realizes the trunk isn’t here right?” Maverick asked Mick who just shrugged.

                “I suggest you all pay for your bountiful feast and retire to Gideon’s warm embrace team. We have a hunt to commence.” John strolled out of restaurant, lighting a cigarette in the doorway.

                They heroes all just sighed and turned to Maverick some of them shooting him what was probably suppose to be comforting smiles.

                “You willing to hang out with us a bit longer, Shay? We might need your information and expertise.” Thea asked sounding kind but demanding.

                “And I would love to see those pictures you were talking about earlier.” Zari stated eyes intent on the man once again.

                Maverick arched an eyebrow and seemed a little conflicted for a moment. Finally, he sighed and pointed at Caitlin.

                “If she wants to stick around and help I will. Otherwise my plans of getting her a change of clothing for the morning and going back to my place to sleep for the rest of the night seems more appealing.”

                Maverick leaned down and pushed Caitlin’s hair from her face. He gently stroked her cheek and shook her shoulder with the hand that had previously been hold her close.

                “Caity, sweetie, it’s time to wake up.”

                “Nnnn.” Caitlin buried her face deeper into his chest.

                “Sorry you have to wake up for a bit.”

                “Mr. Kitty you’re so warm and soft…” Caitlin murmured softly as she started to wiggle a little as she woke up.

                “I think the warm comforting presence theory has been confirmed.” Wally said with his happy with the world smile, though his eyes were softer than Barry usually saw them as he watched Caitlin wake up.

                “Come on sweetie, we have to go.” Maverick kissed her softly on the temple and Caitlin finally slowly opened her eyes and gave a little yawn. She glanced around with a light blush on her face and moved back to her seat with a slight stretch of her arms,

                “Did I miss anything?” Caitlin gave her friends of small smile and waited for them to fill her in.


	11. The search into the past

                “So, this trunk… how can we get our hands on it?” John Constantine rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

                The heroes where now all spread around the bridge, taking up every seat and Mick and Maverick taking opposite sides of the stairs leading to the mission planning area where the Legends have all quickly taken all the comfortable chairs. Except for the one Caitlin had been given by Mick in a surprisingly weirdly chivalrous move.

                “Well I am in the middle of a move and remodel and nothing in the trunk is something I’d need in the next week or two.”

                “You brought 2 boxes full of text books, scientific journals, and other books on research and theories.” Caitlin cut in, a bemused smile on her face.

                “Like I said something I’d need in the next week or two. The trunk is in my office in my old place in Hub City.”

                “Why would you need 2 boxes of random science books?” Zari looked almost disgusted at the thought.

                “Why wouldn’t you?” Ray asked genuinely confused.

                “I think we need to make sure Ray and Maverick are never left alone in the same room. We may never see them again.” Nate advised Sara who just snorted at the thought.

                “Let’s stay on point shall we. Address please Dr. Foxx so we can be on our way.” Constantine glanced expectedly at the younger man before he began pacing.

                “When we get my trunk how do you expect to examine its contents?” Maverick asked with an eye roll.

                Constantine stopped his pacing and turned to look at Maverick again.

                “Do you not have a key? Assuming that its locked of course.”

                Mick snorted.

                “If you let me go gather my laptop bag from my place I can unlock it easily, but I don’t think the key still exists.”

                “I’ll grab it!” Wally leaned over Maverick and stage whispered. “What’s your address?”

                Maverick smirked and whispered directly in Wally’s ear causing him to blush a little. With a blast of air Wally ran out of the room with his eye lightening trail. Barry buried his head in his hands as all the other heroes registered what just happened.

                “Did he just do that?” Sara groaned loudly.

                “You guys are the worse secret keepers.” Maverick said in a comforting tone and a knowing smirk.

                “I- Wha- What do you mean.” Ray blushed and stammered.

                “We are on some kind of high-tech ship which from context clues I’m thinking is some kind of time traveling vessel.  Especially since you guys kept telling stories about traveling through time.”

                “I’m a vessel design to traverse multiple environments including the temporal zone, the various reaches of space, water environments for which I have been rated up to 12,000 feet and other harsh environments including the hydrogen rich atmosphere of Titan.” Gideon kindly responded

                “Thank you disembodied female Hal 9000.”

                “You can call me Gideon, Dr. Foxx. By the way it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance sir.”

                “Um? You’re welcome? Back to my point, I already know Caitlin is Killer Frost, when she’s Frost we used to play video games together. Mister Cranky-and-I-Can-Kill-You is obviously Oliver Queen who came out as the Green Arrow last year, Mister weight-of-the-world” Maverick gestured towards Barry who felt a blush cross his face. “Is obviously The Flash and Phreak is clearly Vibe as his costume was him wearing sunglasses. I figured Wally had to be Kid Flash when Caitlin’s stories about teaching Kid Flash how to cook and maintain a healty diet turned into hangout tales staring Wally. Also, Dad was/is a supervillain with no desire to keep any of your secrets.”

                “You seem so nice, why are you so mean to Cisco?” Ray asked after the heroes had a second to process that.

                “What do you mean?”

                “You keep calling him a freak. That’s just not nice.”

                “No, I call him Phreak with a Ph not freak.”

                “I- How is that better?”

                “I take you’ve never seen Hackers.”

                “Wait you call me Phreak after the character in Hackers?” Cisco cut in looking surprised.

                “Oh, I loved that movie! I wanted to be Angelina Jolie so badly when I was younger.” Felicity added looking excited and interested in a topic she loved.

                “Its an awesomely bad nerdy movie.” Maverick smiled.

                “I think Cisco is going to explode.” Caitlin snickered from her seat. Barry had to agree taking in the conflicted look on Cisco’s face.

                Before the conversation could continue any further Wally returned with a leather bag which she shoved in Maverick’s arms before running off again.

                “Now where’s he going?” Sara looked after the trail of lightening like it had personally offended her.

                “I also told him the address of my old apartment, figured he could just grab the trunk without us having to actually travel half way cross the country.” Maverick was digging through bag placing a laptop next to his service dog, who Barry had learned was name Wolfgang Pup and yes, he was named by Leonard Snart, followed by the power cable, a book, a dog-eared notebook and some pens. When he pulled out a bag of what appeared to be blue and white sharks he paused to toss them Mick before he began to run his finger along the inside lining.

                “Gummy Sharks? Thanks kid.” Mick opened the bag and ripped off the head of one of the pieces of candy.

                “Seriously Mick how can you still be eating? We ate almost everything on the menu back in the diner.” Nate looked like he was going to be sick.

                “Dad always eats when he can even if he’s uncomfortably full to the point of being sick. Tate told me once he often went hungry as a kid, so he doesn’t feel safe if his belly isn’t full.” Maverick explained as he worked a few metal rods with various bent ends from the lining of his bag.

                “Kid.” Mick growled with a narrowed eye glare while the heroes all looked uncomfortably at one another. Snart’s history of child abuse was common knowledge and the Legends had learned a little bit about Dick Rory but this new piece of the puzzle that was Mick Rory wasn’t too surprising. It was just sad to think that Mick felt so unsafe despite the presence of the heroes he ate himself to sickness.

                “You don’t tell your time traveling family about your kids you get embarrassing tidbits of your past shared.” Maverick pulled out a final piece of metal from his bag. “Also, Gummy Sharks and Gummy Tummy Penguins are Dad’s favorite candy. He would want to eat them no matter what.”

                A breeze and a thump stopped anyone from adding to the comment, or lettering Barry ask what a Gummy Tummy Penguin was and where he could get some. In the middle of the bridge Wally was bent over a large old Saratoga trunk panting slightly.

                “Man, you could have warned me if was heavy as heck.” Wally wheezed before rolling on to the floor to lay on his back while he panted slightly.

                “Sorry dude, I forget sometimes that beast is packed.” Maverick moved to plop down in front of the trunk with one leg stretched out straight and the other bent in. He gave Wally’s leg a light pat before he started inserting the metal robs and moving them in slow controlled motions.

                Constantine bent over the young man while he worked examining the trim on the trunk.

                “Are you aware that there are several protection and concealment spells on this old girl?” He said thoughtfully as he traced a carving on the top.

                “If you say so.” Maverick had a distant look on his face as he worked the lock picks. “If you excuse me this trunk hasn’t been opened since my oldest niece started toddling and I might be dealing with a bit of rust, so I need to focus.”

                “Angel got it from the good foster home.” Mick supplied as he fished out another of his gummy sharks from the bag and chewed on it happily.

                “Good foster home?” Constantine shot Mick a quick examining glance before focusing on some other carvings.

                “Angel was a foster kid, never knew who he pops was and her mom spent the 60s and 70s with a needle in her arm and random guys in her bed. Not that foster care was any better for her. The only one she’d ever talk about was the where she lived with an older broad in the tribe who actually treated her good and such. She lived with her from age 9 to 11 before she died, and the lady even wrote in her will that Angel would get that trunk and a small amount of money which she got when she turned 18.” Mick explained watching Maverick work. “You should take better care of that kid.”

                “Well when Halleh and Kylie get past their need to search and explore everything I’ll give a good look over, oil the hinges and the lock.” There was a loud click and Maverick sighed lifting the handle. “Until then I don’t want to be the responsible for a rushing a 5-year-old to the E.R. cause she came across something she shouldn’t and played with it.”

                “Wait Mick has grandkids?” Zari was suddenly sitting forward with renewed interest that made a smile try to bloom on Thea and Iris’ faces.

                “Are we going to examine the effects of a long dead hit woman or do you want me to draw up family tree for you?” Maverick seemed to have gotten over the novelty of everyone freaking out about Mick’s personal life. He didn’t wait for anyone to respond, just grabbed a bundle of black leather and shoved it into Constantine’s hands. “Keepsakes are on the right side, books on the left. I figure you want to check all the nooks and crannies so give me a second to clear out enough to get to the latch to open the hidden drawer.”

                The tray under what turned out be a beat-up old leather jacket was moved to the side soon to be followed by old cigar boxes, show boxes held together by masking tape and good intentions and few old jewelry boxes and music boxes that screamed the 60s and 70s. Dig had moved closer to examine some of the objects grabbing the tray in surprise and holding up an item to examine it closer. Barry shudder when he realized that it was a plain set of brass knuckles with slight sign of use and age around the ages.

                “These are police issue. I mean police issue back in the day when police carried brass knuckles but police issue none the less.” Barry leaned closer and saw the letters CPD and lot number stamped in the metal.

                “So is the blackjack there, I think she stole them from one of those bad foster homes.” Maverick replied with a grunt as another click was heard and a thin drawer slid open. Any noise in the room came to a crashing halt when they glanced down to see two dissembled rifles, one with the older opulence of the old west the old but more modern in appearance than its partner, laying on a bed of blue velvet. Constantine picked up the older weapon and examined it closely.

                “Your mum was a right badie wasn’t she?” He smiled when Mick took the gun from his hands with a slight glare.

                “I removed the firing pins from all the guns in here after Tate taught me how to dissemble and clean weapons. Don’t worry their mostly decorative at this point.”

                “A pity really. Angel could perform surgery with this beauty back in the day.” Mick almost purred as he rubbed the butt of the gun in his hand then started working to reassemble the weapon.

                “All the guns?” Oliver asked stiffing for a second and turning his gaze fully to younger man still sitting in front of the trunk. Wally was sitting up, leaning his weight on his elbows to see what everyone was looking at with a slight worried look on his face. Maverick just pulled off a second bundle of cloth from left side of the trunk and revealed a pair of pearl handled revolvers, what looked like a German Luger P08, two small derringers and two standard clip loaded pistols laying on a bed of green velvet. Like the rifles they looked old but in good condition.

                “I personally have never been in a situation where a job to the nose couldn’t get me out of it fast enough, so I never really needed these. Of course, there is an extremely high likely hood that you are looking at the missing murder weapons for countless cold cases, so I can’t exactly get rid of them. And there is the age thing to consider. That Winchester Dad is fondling so disturbingly has to be more than a hundred years old and should be treated with the respect something that old deserves. So, they get the trunk until the girls are older. Then I may display the older ones.”

                “You aren’t joking about your mom being a hit woman, are you?” Barry asked eyes wide at the neatly displayed guns on the tray.

                Maverick smirked and pulled out a roll of canvas from the bundle he moved to revealed guns. He pulls a strap and unrolls it to reveal it to be a chef’s knife roll filled with various knives, none of which looked like they should be used in the cooking process.

                “So many things in the world I could joke about, this is not one of them Barry.” Maverick handed the knife collection to Barry and turned to the mesmerized heroes. “So, you guys going to help me look through this stuff or are you just going to stare at me? Fair warning, the last option is going to take considerably longer, I tried to categorize all the stuff years ago and made it half way before I had to break to give my brain a break from the sheer weirdness of some of it. Apparently, another thing foster kids can do we they get older is hoard.”

                The heroes all sighed in masse and moved to grab one of the boxes that had been unearthed all ready and began to examine their contents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I always felt that Mick's need to always be feed, even when he shouldn't be hungry as well as his impulse problem and pyromania sounded like a classic response you see in kids when they are severally neglected, food insecure and malnourished as a kid. When you also take into his past with his father, who it didn't seem to beat Mick but definitely sounded neglectful to him and abusive to his wife.
> 
> Same with the foster kid hoarding thing. Entering adulthood kids who spent a lot of time moving and having inconstant home lives have been shown to hold on to any little thing to have a sense of permanence. Add to that maybe some OCD that can be developed in potential hostile upbringings and well I have weird crap and i just had an abusive father.
> 
> Also CPD stands for Cody Police Department. I actually own those items I mentioned... cause I'm weird. Saratoga trunks are the trunks with trays and stuff.


	12. Searching for Artifacts and Clues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have official written more for this fic than I have for any one college project when the bibliography is removed.
> 
> Also I looked at a calendar to pick the date. I'm very proud of myself.

                 Examining all the contents of a trunk that once belonged to a hit-woman with a mild hoarding issue is both tedious and weird. Between the shoe box will with vintage hot wheels (which made Wally excited and nerd out) and a large memory box filled velvet bags each containing pieces of jewelry that had be worth millions (Thea was struck dumb when she emptied a bag to reveal a platinum necklace with a large pink gemstone that shown with the dull glow a true quality and Dig let out a low whistle when a pair of tear drop tumbled out in his hand made out what appeared to be emeralds) all the heroes learned was that Mick’s Angel was a woman of varying interests.

                Felicity, Iris, Caitlin and Constantine had quickly abandoned the collection of boxes for the books. Felicity and Iris were fanning through a collection of yellowing paperbacks finding all the treasures hidden in the pages while Caitlin and Constantine looked through leather bound hardbacks and journals that seemed more at place in old libraries or schools that the possession of old hardened criminals.

                Oliver has taken to examining the trunk itself looking for more hidey holes and latches. His face was blank as his hands moved in a systematic method of knocks and rubs. Barry wondered if it was easy for him to turn off his brain on a simple task or if it was hard wading through a cloud of doubts.

                Barry was in full CSI mode exploring the various treasures. His brain wondered if the small cigar box full of used match books where from all the heist the criminals pulled or if they where souvenirs from sating Mick’s fire bug? Was the small beautifully decorated incense box the size of one of the paperbacks in Iris’ hand stolen or bought properly? Why did she save so many ticket stubs inside it? Everything was a mystery and Barry had to admit… he loved a good mystery.

                Right around time Barry found a cigar box with a set of six wooden doll house sized dolls wrapped in silk, two of which looked suspiciously like younger versions of Snart and Mick, Iris let out a small cheer of victory.

                “Did you find the Sight?” Cisco asked with excitement as he shoved a shoe box full of post cards to the side leaving the handful of cards displaying vintage risqué pin-up art. Which explained the slight pink tint to his cheeks and why he was ready to jump to a distraction.

                “What? Oh, no, sorry… I found _The Girl Who Owned A City.”_ Iris held up the beat-up paper back with the stylized art of children on the cover.

                “I’ve been wading through vintage band pins and art deco costume jewelry and your happy to find a book! We’re not looking for a book for once Iris!” Nate threw down the jewelry box in his hands in frustration scattering said jewelry across the floor.

                “What we’ve been through most of the trunk and the closest we’ve gotten to finding the Sight was finding that box of necklaces that Constantine got all hot and bothered about.”

                “I’ll have you know those are mystical amulets that have been missing for years neigh decades or longer, used channel the energy of the world through the wearer while minimizing the damage one would normally collect! These where worn by the great Druids of An Saol Eile! And they were sitting in bloody cracker jack box at the bottom of a trunk!” Constantine slammed the book in his hand closed and pouted.

                “As I was saying, none of the pictures that were in these books showed the Sight. Though I did appreciate the shirtless Mick holding a naked baby picture. Surprisingly sweet.”

                “I’m going to have to insist that you forget that picture ever existed.” Maverick called out as he put aside a box that seemed to be full of bullet casings.

                “Is everyone going to interrupt me?” Irish slapped the book against her knee and glared at scattered heroes. They all shock their heads quietly and watched her sit back on her heels for a second examining the book.

                “I think it is safe to assume that the Sight isn’t in this trunk. Unless Oliver found a secret drawer or panels.” Oliver shook his head when everyone turned to him. “Then I suggest we find the picture, use it and Mick to figure out when the picture was taken and then have Gideon take us back there and steal it.”

                “I would like to point out a few issues with that idea.” Maverick said with his hand in the air and arched eyebrow.

                “I too would like to point out some potential flaws in your plan Mrs. West-Allen.” Gideon’s voice joined in the protest.

                “The year Mick said is before Shay was born, you could put his existence in danger.” Caitlin looked terrified and inched closer to the younger man.

                “My parents are master criminals, not exactly easy to steal from.” Maverick added taking Caitlin’s hand and reassuredly rubbing his thumb over the top of her knuckles.

                “If you are seen by the past version of Mr.s Rory and Snart you could cause changes to events that have already taken place in the time line.” Gideon said with concern.

                “We can broach all that when we get there. Right now if we know where it was last seen we can make a plan that should allow us to get the Sight, perform what ever magical ceremony Constantine needs to complete to stop this monster and Barry can run off with Oliver to get shot at with arrows for hours on end like I know he’s been dying to do since all this started.”

                The heroes looked at Barry for a second with amused looks on their faces. Barry just shrugged and smiled.

                “Its actually to find a quiet unmanned corner of Earth and get stupid drunk.”

                “I’m in.” Oliver smirked at the speedster.

                “Can I join you guys in getting ‘stupid drunk’?” Sara asked with an exhausted sigh.

                “As much as I would love to hear more about this potential threesome I would like to remind you all that there a being of hatred and darkness running around out there with the intentions of killing every man it can get its nasty little claws on. Planning a time traveling heist is probably our best option at this point.” Constantine called their attention back to the problem at hand.

                “Your friends are fun.” Maverick said to Caitlin who was rolling her eyes at Constantine.

                Iris just ignored Constantine, because she was a good wife, and proceeded to fan through the pages of the book. Two photos, a folded piece of paper and business card fell out into her lap. Instead of going straight for the photos Iris took a minute to make sure nothing was left behind and looked at the paper goods first.

                “Jimbo’s Garage. Dakota City. Might be the location.” Iris said handing Barry the business card.

                “Makes sense, I was born in Dakota City.” Maverick offered, obviously more interested in one of the boxes that he never had the patience explore. A blue velvet jewelry box was in his hands and he was gently touching something inside it tenderly.

                “That’s a starting place at least. G- Susan McIver. T- Tomas Roberto Cruz-Morales. H- Christopher Brown, Marcus Young, Anthony Rossi, Franz Hoffmann. Well this is obviously a list of names.” Iris held up the piece of paper, revealing the list of names, a water stain from some kind of dark liquid and glass ring.

                “If I may, Captain I believe I can posit the identities and connections of the individuals in question.” Gideon offered before anyone else could examine the list.

                “Fire away Gideon.” Sara replied leaning against the central consol.

                “Tomas Roberto Cruz- Morales is the name of a high-ranking member of the NSA in 2018. He had an extensive FBI record that has by this period time has been completely scrubbed clean. However, there a few remaining records in a few small police precincts that indicate Mr. Cruz-Morales spent his 20s working at hacker for higher for various criminal organizations.”

                “Exactly the kind of person we want protecting the U.S.’ digital infrastructure.” Dig groused.

                “Hey I was hacker! Well a hackivest, I never worked for any criminal organizations. Except for Helix. And team Arrow… I’m going to shut up now.” Felicity lost steam so quick it was nearly enough to give Barry and the others whiplash.

                “If I may continue Captain Lance.” Gideon sounded a little cold after being interrupted.

                “Sorry Gideon.” Felicity blushed and inched closer to Oliver.

                “Thank you, Mrs. Smoak. Susan McIver was a commonly used alias for a con woman in the early 90s. Her real name is Miriam Rosenburg and she has been incarcerated in the La Santé Prison in Paris for the last 18 years after she attempted to a massive international con regarding the U.S. embassy, the French Government and Slovak Republic that had some suspected ties to known terrorist groups.”

                “My mother sure knew how to pick her friends.”

                “Dr. Foxx, please”

                “Sorry Gideon.”

                “Don’t worry Gideon I’ll keep him in line.” Caitlin looked overly amused but Maverick’s blush at being told off by a computer.

                “Going off the obvious criminal past of the previous two names on the list it seems fair to assume the other 4 names also have a criminal or suspect history. Christopher Brown was a marine during the Vietnam war who made a career of being a security and retrieval of assets expert for private parties in the proceeding years that was investigated by the FBI multiple times due to his suspected link to high profile robberies and the disappearances of several high-level targets. He however was never charged with any crime and died of stage 4 lung cancer in 1998.  Marcus Young is the name of a former Army ranger who was dishonorably discharged during the first gulf war under suspicions of illegal smuggling though the reason on record is the fact that Mr. Young is a homosexual, a fact at the time excluded him from military services. Mr. Young has worked as a mercenary and soldier for hire after words until he lost a leg in 2014 in unrecorded incident. He currently lives in National City with his husband. Anthony Rossi had several arrests as an enforcer for the Beretti Crime Family in Gotham during the 80s. He mostly fell out of the purview of the Gotham Police Department when he lost favor with the higher ups and disappeared from the streets. A body matching his physical description was found in The Glades in Starling City on May 30th, 1996. Franz Hoffmann was an occasional hitman who worked for various criminal organizations, but his records showed he mostly worked in criminal crews as what records commonly refer to as a heavy.”

                “In other words, this is a list of people working a crew for some kind of job some time before 1996.” Oliver summarized for the A.I. taking the list from Barry.

                “It would appear Mr. Queen.” Barry was impressed by how dry a computer voice could be.

                “My parents are/were criminals. So far nothing surprising.” Maverick was now leaning back against one of the chairs and Caitlin was leaning against him watching the examination of artifacts.

                “Dude how are you OK with all that. Your parents killed and hurt countless people. They stole millions and millions of dollars of art and other goods.” Cisco was looking at the young man with a hint of disgust on his face.

                “Well my mother died before I was 1-year-old, so I have no point of reference for her character, but my fathers weren’t blood thirsty criminals to me. Once a month Tate and Dad would dis appear for a day or two leaving us usually in the care of a family friend or Aunt Lisa after she turned 18. For a week or two before that Tate would disappear for recon or meetings or collect various pieces of paper work and blue prints which he would study. Dad would collect items or work on one of his vehicles, which might then disappear for good not to come back when they came home. Then things would be quiet for a week or so and the whole thing would start again. I didn’t really find out what they did for a living until I was 14.”

                Maverick leaned forward and looked Cisco straight in the eye.

                “You see my fathers, and you think of all the bad things you’ve seen them do or even had done to you. I understand that. I see my fathers and I think of far different experiences. You remember a cold man with a cold gun and plan, I remember Tate breaking down my teachers when I was being bullied or was so bored in my classes I was falling asleep because the school refused to let me skip grades. I think of the man who let my lay against him for hours on end when I had the flu and took me out to get ice cream at 1 am when I couldn’t sleep. You see a pyromaniac who rather steal and hurt people than anything else, I see my Dad showing me how to take apart an engine and explaining how to put it back together. I think of the man who baked my birthday cake every year and trained my first two service dogs so that I could make it through my life without being a giant ball of anxiety.”

                Cisco gulped and looked away.

                “I can get that, man, parents are hard. You can’t help but love them.” Nate tried to save Cisco’s dignity. “I mean my dad has always been disappointed I couldn’t join up like he did and would hate it if he knew I followed my grandfather’s JSA footsteps.”

                “Um, ok… can we just look at the photos now? Because the weird true facts about Leonard Snart and Mick Rory portion of the evening is getting uncomfortable.” Iris held up the pictures in front of her face and wiggled slightly in discomfort.

                Barry took one of the pictures and looked at it curiously.

                “This appears to be picture of baby clothing spread out on a newspaper covered table with an ultrasound picture in the middle.” Barry was confused by the image and handed it over to Oliver.

                “Oh, my Mom decided to tie dye a bunch of baby clothing when she found out that my dads’ belief that she was having another girl was wrong as a big I told you so to my biker, heavy metal parents. This must have a picture taken as she was getting ready to work on the project. I forgot that one was in there, it’s kind of random.”

                “I can just make out a date on this newspaper.” Oliver squinted and placed the picture on the central console. “Gideon can you read the date on the newspaper in the picture.”

                “Of course, Mr. Queen.” Suddenly a holographic image of the news paper was projected above the console and zoomed in on the date. Friday November 12th, 1993 was displayed proudly in air.

                “Oh wait!” Caitlin grabbed one of the books she and Constantine had been examining. “This one seems to be a planner. On Friday November 12th she had two things written down. ‘Clinic- 9 am. M or R?’ and ‘Girls-7pm.’ and there are some notes added in a different color pen. Stuff like ‘talk to Papa’ and ‘Take care of Kitten soon’.”

                “Are we thinking this might be the date we want? If the items in the book are from around the same period of time.” Thea asked taking the book to examine the page.

                Barry grabbed the other picture from Iris who had been studying it intensely while they talked. The picture showed a woman whose features indicated Native American heritage, but her skin tone was lighter than Mina Chayton’s had been, and her hair was a reddish auburn shade. In the picture she was wearing a dark navy-blue spaghetti strap top with the Sight landing just above the rise of her breast and she had a pair of glasses hanging by its ear piece in her mouth as she was putting in some earrings.

                “Your mother was beautiful.” Barry said absentmindly as he examined the image. He flipped the photo over and examined the hand writing on the back. In a wild scrawl were the words Angel ’93 just like Mick has said in the diner.  Nothing else was in photo or on it.      

                “Well I guess we just need to ask Mick about that date and travel there and make a plan.” Barry said passing the picture on Maverick and Caitlin and turning around to talk to Mick.

                Who wasn’t there.

                “Uh guys…” Barry started with a bit of apprehension in his voice.

                Everyone looked up and around the bridge.

                “Oh, come one where did Mick go now.” Nate said sounded annoyed as he stood up to look around.

                “What about Ray? Where did he go?” Wally asked doing the exact opposite actions as he leaned backwards and tilted his head to look around the room.

                Everyone in the room paused and tensed up. After a few heart beats Sara slammed her hands on the console.

                “I swear if they ran off to have sex while we where trying to save lives I’m going to kill them.” Sara stomped down the hallway of the ship yelling Mick and Ray’s names the whole time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me I'm not the only out there who has storage containers full of boxes, I need to feel normal.


	13. Party like its 1993

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok about 2-3 chapters left after this one.
> 
> Remember no Beta so if you have any questions please comment.

                Ray and Mick were not having sex. That was all Barry could think as he stood in the doorway to the kitchen. That’s the only positive thing of the scene before him.

                Because how can one truly process and comprehend Mick Rory a.k.a. Heatwave sleeping with his head in Ray Palmer a.k.a. the A.T.O.M. ‘s lap, cuddling with a plush cat with a pink bow while Ray had his hand protectively on Mick’s head and leaned dangerously to one side snoring loudly. Barry could only hope that the half empty bottle of whiskey next to them was to blame.

                “I am… so confused.” Wally’s voice broke the stunned silence of the heroes.

                “Since when does Mick have a plush cat?” Zari came in with the relevant questions.

                “Dr. Palmer asked me to fabricate it for him approximately two hours ago. I thought it was sweet.” Gideon answered the question.

                “So, so many questions.” Nate groaned.

                “Mr. Rory wanted a drink after Ms. Smoak found a picture of him and Mr. Snart as children and Dr. Palmer decided to join him.” Barry forgot that Gideon could see everything the ship. He was suddenly really happy he hadn’t needed to use the restroom yet.

                “Well take your pictures folks. We need to wake up Mr. Rory so he can help us get the Sight. He’s the only one with any background knowledge of the woman in question.” Constantine had entered the kitchen and was standing over sleeping pair. He looked very annoyed at the whole situation.

                “Oh, don’t worry I have taken plenty of pictures.” Thea waved her phone above her head.

                “Send me some of those.” Sara said as she stalked forward straight to the pair. She bent over and started snapping her fingers in front of his face. After a second Mick jolted up and grabbed his head in his catless hand and grunted.

                “What do you want blondie?” Mick yawned and gave the stuffed cat an absentminded pet.

                “What where you two doing?” Sara ignored Mick’s question and folded her arms across her chest.

                “Wanted a drink. Haircut joined me. He drank more than I thought he could.” Mick smiled and sounded rather affectionate.

                “Why Mick? Why?” Sarah asked with a tired sigh.

                “Just wanted a drink. What got all you twisted up?” Mick climbed off the ground and patted Ray’s shoulder as he moved away leaving him half slumped over in sleep.

                “We need you help us with a heist.” Nate called from the doorway, dragging a groan from the ever patient and observing Dibny when Mick looked over at them for the first time and glared for a moment.

                “A heist?”

                “In 1993. Come on. This should be weird and fun.” Wally bounced slightly with his own excitement.

                30 minutes later Mick was sitting in the Captain’s chair, after enduring a ‘Do I have a new Mommy now?’ comment from Maverick, and a ‘I think you two are cute together.’ from Caitlin. He had listened to their plan and reasoning and was shaking his head with an amused smirk.

                “This is a shit plan.”

                “Do you have a better one.” Oliver asked with an arched eye brow.

                “Nope let’s do this.” Mick clicked the seat brace down.

                “Everyone find a seat, we are on our way to rob a hitwoman in 1993.” Sara announces as she took another of the seats. All the heroes scrambled to take seat, shoving the artifacts sprawled around the floor in the trunk to prevent any accidents during the jump.

                 Barry was amused to see Mick expertly entering coordinates and grunting at Gideon’s helpful little suggestions. If he hadn’t seen Mick with his Heat Gun, he would think this was his natural element.

                It only took a few minutes for them to jump to 1993. What was amusing was that Dig, like the pair of speedsters and Mick where the only ones who didn’t have any signs of time jumping side effects. For once Dig wasn’t the one vomiting. That was poor Felicity who was being comforted by Oliver who was speaking backwards. Caitlin was blinking wildly apparently having momentarily lost her sight while Maverick has tried to stand up to soon and was laying on the ground by her feet while hi service dog whined as it cuddled on his chest. Iris was complaining about tasting grape and making a face as she tried to work the taste from her mouth.

                Time travel by ship instead of speed running was way more amusing.

                Barry was surprised to see Mick land and cloak the ship in the field of a rather large park.

                “Shouldn’t we land somewhere more... shielded?”

                Mick laughed and undid his harness, standing up to type something into a console.

                “You ever been to Dakota City, Red? Unless you want to work on your plans on lifting my girl’s piece of pretty from her neck without getting my fist in your face from 150 miles away or the junk yard, park is the only option.” Mick pulled up images on the surrounding park grounds. “A’sides, we lived across from this park. Closer is better when one of you idiots will most like get shot.”

                Mick paused and looked back over at the heroes still recovering from the jump, amusingly Dibny had apparently lost control of his stretching ability and was being collected by Dig, Caitlin and Oliver to be taken to Med Bay so Gideon and Caitlin could get him stabilized again.

                “Kid you sure your ok with all this?”

                “Dad at this point I’m kind of given up on every being vertical again and plan on just laying here until the room stops spinning. Just don’t get me killed.” Maverick answered with a weak wave.

                “No one is getting you killed unless they want to deal with me.” Mick growled and stomped out of the bridge.

                “Now where are you going!?” Sara called as she stopped trying to pop her ears.

                Mick returned shortly with a bottle of water, which he handed to a grateful Maverick.

                “I was making sure Haircut didn’t get dis-dis-dis… disembodied by the jump.”

                “Disemboweled.” Nick corrected as we regained his normal skin.

                “Are you saying disembodied doesn’t work?” Maverick asked after he took a long chug of the water.

                “Well no… I guess it does work…” Nick looked surprised.

                “Kid don’t need to protect me from these idiots.”

                “Just hate when people over correct.” Maverick growled slightly then groaned as he clutched his head while Wolfgang whined slightly and climbed on top of his chest to nuzzle against his neck. “Ok Time travel sucks, not worth it.”

                “You get use to it.” Zari reassured.

                “Yeah after this I’m going back to working in my lab and my designs thank you. Dad can be the time traveling member of the family.”

                “Where is your place here in 1993 Mick?” Barry asked examining the goings on in the park around them.

                “Hmmm… that way?” Mick pointed towards the playground.

                “All right! Let’s get out there and do some recon!” Nate clapped his hands and hopped a bit with excitement.

                “Don’t we want Ray? He could help us get close with his A.T.O.M. suit.” Iris asked as she finally returned to her normal pre-time jump self of not constantly tasting grape.

                “Why don’t you just use a drone? Can’t old Hal 9000 make a small one?” Maverick asked from his spot on the floor.

                “I would like to remind you that my name is Gideon Dr. Foxx and yes I can fabricate a small remote-controlled drone.”

                “Let Haircut be, he doesn’t sleep enough.” Mick stated as he moved to leave the bridge again. “We are also going to need jackets, I remember it be cold as balls.”

                “I can confirm that my external sensors show that the current temperature is 43 degrees Fahrenheit and looking into historical records there will be a foot and half of snow fall tonight from a storm that won’t end until Wednesday November 17, 1993.”

                Mick stopped for a second and looked thoughtful.

                “Phone lines went out. Snart and I had a job down in Midway and Snart nearly had a panic attack when he couldn’t check in on Lees and Angel. Thought the prick was going to destroy the safe house we needed to lay low in for a week.”

                “Sounds like Tate, he terrified all the nurses in the hospital when I was in my accident, and He was able actually see and touch me and know I was going to live. Not being able to check on Aunt Lisa must been like asking you to give up all your lighters.” Maverick laughed and finally starting to sit up.

                “Also, Angel is-was pregnant. They always hit her hard.” Mick helped Maverick stand up and held him still when he started to sway and turn green.

                “Hard how?” Felicity asked fidgeting slightly like she wanted to explore the world. Which she probably did.

                “Morning sickness. Always tired.” Mick paused again and stared at the floor for a second. “She had a problem with her blood… iron or something. She passed out at least once. It was…” Mick shuffled slightly, uncomfortable with the memory.

                “What your saying is, we are going to stalk and attempt to rob, or somehow convince a pregnant woman with two overprotective killer boyfriends to hand over the Sight. Which is not to forget the fact she might happily try to kill us herself.” Cisco asked rubbing his eyes.

                “Sounds about right, ponytail.” Mick grunted and nodded.

                “Gideon is there any way for us to get those jackets Kevlar lined?” Barry asked hopefully as the stupidity of their plan finally hit him.

                They were in 1993 and it was time to stalk a pregnant hitwoman. For the greater good.

               


	14. There are things we don't talk about here

                Barry was very happy that the early 90s, while full of women with big teased permed hair and the brightly colored but loose clothing, was aesthetics wise similar to 2018. He heard a few horror stories about wool underwear. He didn’t want to experience that fun fashion fad.

                A small group of the heroes, which didn’t include Oliver once he saw the brightly colored sweaters and jackets that Gideon had made them, had taken up various park benches in a covered sitting area and gained a few nervous glances from moms with their preschool age kids in the playground. Cisco had a weird computer set up that Gideon had mock up to look like a pizza box (As well as making a second that actually contained a pizza which Barry and Wally where eating to the disgust of the other heroes) and was controlling their little drone to film and recon the area.

                Finding Mick and Snart’s 1993 home wasn’t actually that hard. Apparently, Mick had always worked get away or personal vehicles in his down time and the drone quickly found a very young and possessing a mop of short and kind of spiky head of brown hair Mick with his head under the hood car that had to be close to 15-year-old for the time. Though it was weird to think of an arsonist and killers living in a quaint post war house in a neighborhood of quaint post war houses with yards that were slightly larger than expected. If not for the arsonist shoulder deep in the engine block there was nothing on the outside of the house that stood out.

                While Iris, Dig and Zari tried to come up of a plan to get in the house or follow Angel where ever she went that night, Barry and Cisco where just more into actually confirming that the woman with the Sight was around.

                All of which wound up on hitting the back burner when a motorcycle pulled up besides Young Mick and the even younger Leonard Snart disembarked removing his helmet. The sight of a younger than him Snart, with his same close-cropped hair though missing the salt and pepper Barry knew but a solid black, was just a blaring reminder that this was a bad idea, and someone was going to be hurt.

                Not that Iris and Felicity cared.

                “O-M-G! Its baby Snart!” Felicity practically plastered herself to Cisco’s back to stare at the feed from the drone.

                “No, Baby Snart was/is way cuter. Trust me I actually held him my arms, very adorable. Not that there is anything wrong with Barely-Legal Snart.” Sara replied joining Felicity. When the other heroes stared at her she sighed. “What you never time traveled to kidnap a teammate on the date of their birth to save their life?” She asked with a snarky smile.

                “I can’t say I have.” Felicity replied slowly and turned back to the monitor. “Can’t we hear what they are saying Cisco?”

                Barry turned back to the screen to, observing that Snart was now leaning against one of the head lights of the car talking to Mick who was still bent over the exposed engine. He had his usual almost arrogant smirk with a bit of softness around his eyes that reminded Barry of when he killed Lewis Snart to protect his sister for once and for all. Mick seemed to be explaining something to him with a little bit of frustration on his face. Snart bent over to examine a part Mick was pointing at eyes squinting in his examination.

                “We can’t get too close Felicity. Even Gideon’s drones make some noise. We can only risk getting this close because in 1993 Cold and Mick aren't going to be expecting a drone to be around.” Cisco sighed and checked the drone’s condition. “I can hover here at a safe distance for a good while, but getting close enough to get audio? That can blow us.”

                “Let’s play this as safe as possible guys. We just need to be able to see when people leave or enter the house, so we can follow Snart and Mick’s girlfriend if and when she leaves. No need to get too close, especial since we are dealing with future tech, a pregnant woman and known killers.” Barry put a hand subtly on Felicity’s arm to draw her a little way back. Felicity looked a little disappointed, but she nodded and pulled back from Cisco’s back.

                Dig and Iris were working on a plan to follow and approach the woman, to either steal the Sight or convince her to part with it. Gideon could produce enough time accurate currency for them to be able to offer her any amount of money, and with Wally and Barry’s speed once a number was agreed upon, they could have the funds there right away. It was the safest option if they used the right heroes.

                Right now, the consensus was Dibny, Constantine and Zari should lead any action due to facts that-          

  1. Dibny could shape-shift to look like a mid-level fence that Gideon identified as working in the area during the time period making them seem more legitimate.
  2. Dibny couldn’t be injured or killed if shot by a pissed off Hitwoman.
  3. Constantine could make sure the object was correct and act as an art historian or specialist in Grecian artifacts.
  4. Zari could dress up nice and play a semi-shady rich person with more money than sense.
  5. Zari had her own magical totem to use against any magic that came up.
  6. If Mick or Snart saw any of the three it would be less harmful to the overall time line as they where some of the newest additions to the teams.



                Barry was voting to have Ray and Nate nearby just in case things went wrong and they needed a quick extract while Barry and Wally lifted the necklace.

                Iris didn’t want to wake up Ray and deal with whatever was going on between him and Mick and that damn plush cat. Which Mick was still clinging to when they left him aboard the Waverider.

                Dig was of the opinion that more people in field the more likely things will go wrong.

                Oliver told them all over the comms that having someone close enough to provide back could save all their lives and that it didn’t matter who.

                Wally sniggered on the other side of the table and simply informed them that one thing he missed in his travels was the fact they always fought while making the same argument in different words.

                While they were still debating on the final touches of their flawed but plausible plan Cisco started slapping Barry’s arm and whispering ‘dude, dude, dude’.

                “What is it Cisco?” Barry asked moving away from Cisco hits.

                “Its her dude!” Cisco pointed at his screen, making Barry realize just how stupid a pizza box disguised computer was especially since there where laptops in 1993.

                Barry glanced over Cisco shoulder and sucked in a breath in anticipation and anxiety.

                There exiting the house, in a baggy sweater, a messy ponytail and black cat-eye glasses with an equally bundled up baby with a tuff a red hair on its head riding her hip was the woman from the few pictures they had found. Barry could just make out an amused smile on the woman’s face as she observed the two future Rogues bent over the old car for a few heart beats before moving to join them.

                All the heroes crowded around monitor eagerly wanting to get a glimpse of the mystery woman.

                They watched as Mick seemed to explain to her what he had been explaining to Snart earlier. Iris snorted when she obviously rolled her eyes and shoved the baby into Snart’s arms and pushed him out of the way to lean into the engine block. Which took two attempts as it became apparent once she joined the two men that she was probably shorter than Iris and went she bent over the bump under that sweater became noticeable as she was blocked from fulling bending over by the front grill. The second attempt had her pushing her sleeves up to her elbow, putting a foot on the fender and pushing her self up to lean full over into the engine.

                Barry felt his heart squeeze a bit painfully as he watched Mick rest his hand protectively on the small of her back and Snart move closer as is to catch her or snatch her away if something went wrong.

                After a minute or two where they could observe her making a few controlled moves and straining against something the woman pushed back, letting herself slide into Mick’s arm with a look of triumph. Snart smirked as he leaned in the driver’s side and apparently turned the car on if the sudden exhale of exhaust or steam that exiting the tailpipe was to go by. The woman smiled bigger and turned in Mick’s grasp to pull him down for a kiss on the mouth and to gloat with the bemused smirk on Mick and Snart’s face was an indicator.

                Snart was cuddling the baby closer to his chest and obviously making some kind of quip because Mick shook with a laugh and the woman rolled her eyes. The woman pulled out of Mick’s embrace and moved over to Snart grabbing his face between her hands, saying whatever she was saying to him with a smile and finishing with a kiss on his nose and on the top of the baby’s head. Just then another car pulled up and younger man exited grabbing two large tied up plastic bags from back seat.

                Barry and Dig openly laughed when the younger man, the delivery boy it seemed, stopped in his steps seeing the three in the driveway and blushed. The woman left Mick and Snart to talk to the boy and hand over a couple of bills in exchange for the food in his hands. He kept glancing over at the two men in the drive way, blushing deeper every time and chatting with the woman for a good minute before he could escape. The woman turned to the men, held up the food and tilted her head towards the house before returning to what must be a much warmer and comfortable environment than the one the heroes currently were in.

                Once Snart shifted the baby to his hip and Mick lowered the hood of the car, wiping his hands as did so, to follow her in Sara sighed in an almost painful way. She clicked off the comms when Barry opened his mouth to question her.

                “I’m sorry, I know they have done bad things in the past, but Leonard and Mick are my teammates, my crew and in some ways my friends. They saved my life countless times. Hell Barry, Leonard died to save all of time. They look happy here. I know they are criminals. I know they kill people. But what would they have been like if they hadn’t lost her? What would have happened if she never died?” Sara leaned against the table and lowered her head. “We do what we do not just because its right, and sometimes its not full right, we don’t do it because of our trauma or our darkness or because someone hurt us. We do this because of the people we love.”

                Sara looked a Barry with sad eyes that made him move to hug himself.

                “I can already tell Mick loves his kids even he will probably never say so to any of our faces, would there have been a Captain Cold or a Heat Wave if their Angel had still been in the picture Barry? Would the world be better or worse if they… if she lived? This is what I hate about time travel. You never know the answer to the ‘What If?’ and a part of you desperately wants to make it so.”

                “I learned my lesson Sara. We are here for the Sight we can’t change anything. Changing something would-“ Barry stopped and looked back to where he knew the Waverider was cloaked. “Changing something would hurt Caitlin, it could hurt all of us… it could kill Ray and Nate… We need to focus on the plan and feel the pain later.”

                Barry glanced at the heroes and with a sigh focused on Cisco.

                “Cisco, can you park the drone somewhere where we can monitor the front door while we finish our planning?”

                “Yeah man there are a few trees across the street, I can land on one of the branches and leave it there facing the house.” Cisco had stuck a pen in between his teeth at some point and was looking nervous. “Anyone else wondering how this plan is going to fall off the rails? ‘Cause I’m freaking out about that.”

                “Right now, we should just go back to the ship, so we can prepare for our mission, and I want to talk to Caitlin. I feel like we are ignoring her for all of this and that’s like half of our problems. I meet you guys back on the ship.” Before anyone would protest or make another suggest Barry had tapped into the speed force and was back on the bridge of the ship with Thea and Oliver in the mission planning space looking at him funny.

                “Gideon, where is Caitlin?” Barry wished Gideon always had a face because he felt stupid standing in the middle of the room talking to the ceiling. Then he remembers he built and designed her… so he only has himself to blame.

                “After assisting me in stabilizing Mr. Dibny’s elasticity Dr. Snow excused herself to Library. I believe she needed a moment.”

                “Thank you, Gideon.” Barry speed down the hall finding the door leading to the library.

                “Mr. Allen, given the events of the last 10 hours I feel I should advise you not to enter the library at this time.”

                “Gideon I just want to talk to Caitlin. Let her know she’s valued and that I’m going to try harder to make sure she knows that.”

                “Mr. Allen-“

                “Its going to be OK Gideon.” Barry pushed open the door and stopped with the door open a just enough for him to see in.

                Against the desk on side of the room Caitlin was half leaning, half clinging to Maverick like her life depended on it. Now that door was open, he could hear her soft sobs and the light murmur of the younger man’s voice against her neck, into her ear. Caitlin’s eyes where squeezed tightly shut and her face already streaked with tears. Through it all he could hear Caitlin sob soft Sorrys and replies of ‘Its not your fault’ and ‘I’ll live’.

                Barry still considered knocking and entering for a second. He hated himself for being even part of the cause for her pain. Before he could though he heard something that made him stop completely. The world almost slowed down into Flashtime as his heart broke.

                “Please don’t leave me, even though they hurt you and use you. I don’t think I can bare it. I don’t think I can survive it. I… can’t be alone any more Shay.” Caitlin’s voice was weak and small as she begged the man to stay with her. A fact that even without knowing him Barry could tell was never a possibility. The man comforting Caitlin loved her as much as he loved Iris, Joe loved Cecile, Oliver lover Felicity, as much as Mick and Snart had loved Angel.

                Barry didn’t wait to hear the response. He closed the door quickly and quietly, moving away from the room almost painfully slow.

                “Gideon.” Barry was surprised to hear his voice crack and knew he was closer to tear than he expected.

                “Yes Mr. Allen?” Gideon’s voice was calm but reprimanding. Like a mother resisting the urge to say I told you so.

                “Can you lock the library from the outside and keep anyone else from entering until… Caitlin… until Caitlin is able to handle any of… any of us.”

                “I would be happy to Mr. Allen and may I say, you should have listened to me before.”

                “I realize that now Gideon…” Barry took a deep breath and thought for a second. “Gideon?”

                “Yes Mr. Allen?” Ok now Gideon was sounding cheeky and overly pleased with herself.

                “Is Mick in the kitchen getting drunk right now?”

                “Mr. Rory is currently tucking Dr. Palmer into his bed in his quarters. He asked me to fabricate a stuffed rat for Dr. Palmer. I must say those two are quite adorable. I hope none of you are going to try and stop those two from whatever they are developing.”

                “No, its weird but I’m beginning to realize that we all need love and companionship no matter where we get it. I just… wanted to… sit with someone who might tell me what I need to do make this better.”

                “Mr. Allen, I think the only way you can make anything better is through time and effort. However, I can tell you that Mr. Dibny and Mr. Heywood are currently debating a rather intricate plan to get the artifact you are hunting for that involves stealing Dr. Palmer’s suit or using the Shrink Ray to make Ms. Foxx the size, and this is a direct quote, ‘the size of a barbie’ so they can better steal the Sight. May I suggest that your presence may be best graced there? As I believe Mr. Queen try to kill one of them soon.”                                                                                                             

                “Yeah, that’s probably the best idea.” Barry stared at the door to the library for another long second.

                “Gideon.”

                “Yes Mr. Allen?” This time Gideon sounded soft and comforting. For a moment he had a flash of his mother comforting him after he got into a fight as a child.

                “Will… will Caitlin be OK?”

                “I don’t know Mr. Allen. I think only time can tell.”

                Barry sigh and wiped away the tears that where collecting in the corners of his eyes.

                “OK then where’s Ralph and Nate so I can help knock some sense into them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually thought about dialog for the driveway scene... but decided this fic was so Dialog heavy that it needed some observations instead. 
> 
> Also my headcannon for this verse is Snart and Mick are totally whipped dads who love their kids more than they can deal.
> 
> Also i tried to imagine Oliver in 90s fashion and it failed.


	15. Excute the Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to update.  
> This chapter took me a long time to write and I realized it was because I was trying to put to much in one chapter.
> 
> Also I'm sorry for making Caitlin vaguely suicidal.  
> But the girl needs love.

                Planning their little con wasn’t hard. Once Nate and Dibny where persuaded not to steal the A.T.O.M. suit or Shrink Ray (by the very scary Oliver and Mick, as the threat of Mick test his heat gun on Steel and The Elongated Man while Oliver watched would make anyone behave) their safer and less likely to mess up the time line plan of playing interested buyers was pretty straight forward.

                The only possible hiccup (or there where many but this was the one that they where dealing with at the moment) was the fact there was only one fence in Dakota City Snart and Mick would deal with as the others where too low end or had some fatal flaw that made their bad guys look down on them. And that fence wasn’t known for taking on retrieval jobs.

                Mick suggested they use one from out side of Dakota because it was more likely Angel would be less likely to attempt to kill them on sight. Apparently, no good hit-person was just a hit-person unless they were willing to take every job offered to them, which Angel did not. She worked Snart and Mick as one of the constants in their criminal crew as a retrieval specialist, matchmaker with fingers in a lot of pies able to find the right person for a job and was basically their hacker able to break into the early 90s computer systems that were a part of the security system.

                Essential, as far as Barry could understand, Snart may have planned the heists and acted as the boss on the job, Mick keeping more reluctant to obey criminals in line and acting as muscle, but Angel found the jobs that had easy paydays or wouldn’t bring to much mob heat on them and the crew to back them up. She also apparently taught them all the stuff they needed to know to do her job for when she couldn’t be part of the heist, ‘Cause she had killin’ job some place else or when she was pregnant’ Mick explained gruffly as he searched criminal records in Gideon’s system.

                “This guy. Doug the Ass” Mick grunted and pulled up a profile of a rather sleazy looking guy around Joe’s age with a startling bad looking toupee whose name appeared to be Douglas Kent. “Snart won’t meet him and get us working with him until ’97. We did a few high paying jobs for him, Snart liked knowing he could get cash for a job and get a hot item out of his hands fast as possible. He doesn’t have any bad habits that would make Angel angry, unless you count gambling, which Angel never really cared about. He is also enough of an idiot to approach someone like Angel. He approached me to get a meeting with Snart back in the day. He had to drag me off the guy after he annoyed me.”

                “And by annoy what exactly do you mean?” Dibny asked as he examined the record of the man he was going to assume the identity of.

                “A tray of Dad’s snickerdoodle cupcakes says he treated him like he was a hired monkey with a gun. He hates that.” Maverick returned without Caitlin overly quietly examining the image on the console too. “Also, he looks stupid enough to talk down to someone with 60 pounds and 4 inches on him.”

                Mick grunted “I ain’t baking you cupcakes.”

                “I have newish pictures of the girls and Lucas. None of them containing John.”

                “… Fine.” Mick turned around and left the bridge without a second word.

                “Dude, did you just bribe Mick to bake?” Wally looked excited, probably for the thought of having cupcakes.

                “No, he was going to do it just because I asked, I just gave him an excuse to feel like he’s in control and is a tough guy. Pictures of the kids without my sister’s boyfriend is just a bonus.” He looked over at Barry and winked. “Also, getting him to focus on baking something will keep him from becoming a pissy baby when you are talking to my mother. So, two birds, one stone.”

                He moved away from Dibny, giving him a curious glance as the superhero began to shift his features to look more like the fence. He moved over to stand next to Barry who was standing close enough to Oliver to talk to him if either where inclined to do so and not watch the other heroes prepare for their mission. Maverick leaned in and murmured directly in his ear.

                “Thank you for locking the library door, but no one else came by. Caitlin is kind of panicking and is currently decompressing in there still and I’m going to make sure she doesn’t have a panic attack. Just make sure I don’t die. She may break.”

                _I am apparently not that smooth._

Barry nodded and soon the bridge was just heroes prepping Dibny to go undercover in 1993 and Oliver and Sara studying some notes on the ritual Constantine had come up with to take down their monster. Barry was really hoping this could be over and done with as soon as possible.

                Even if Felicity was cranky that there wasn’t an excuse for her to wonder around in a different time period and Thea looked like she wanted to strangle everyone who wasn’t Oliver or Felicity.

                _Man, we all have issues… We need more therapy._

                The rest of the heroes not directly needed where happy to catch up on sleep while they waited for movement. It was oddly quiet as they worked on their plan and practiced lines. Barry could almost swear he could feel the whole ship moving in the gentle breathing of much needed sleep.                          

At one point the drone’s feed had shown them a pre-teen girl arriving (to Cisco’s horror he realized the girl had to be Lisa Snart and sent him a spiral where he was trying to figure out exactly how old she was thus how much older than him she was… and Barry wondering if Cisco was going to rebound with Lisa and if that would be a bad idea.) then leaving an hour or two afterword’s with bag meeting up with other pre-teen girls who showed up on the doorstep. Other than that, a time ship is kind of a boring place to have reconnaissance take place.

                The best part was since they had to long to plan was it gave Barry and Wally a chance to talk and try out Gideon’s food fabricator, especially when enough time passed for them want … Lunch? Breakfast?

                Seriously Time Travel is so weird.

                Wally was happy to talk to him and make plans to meet up once a month to hang out. Maybe run around China, maybe go weird food hunting, maybe they can have a Fast and Furious marathon.

                Barry was now tempted to try some of those outrageous food competitions with Wally.

                … That would be awesome...

                 After awhile Ray rejoined them, interested in their plan, and agreeing with everyone who wasn’t Dibny or Nate that having him in someone’s pocket wasn’t a smart idea because who knew who would be there and when. Though he did agree to sit in Wally’s pocket incase they needed back up fast. Nate also stared at him funny the whole time, like he was imagining Ray and Mick in bed. Naked.

                _And… Now its in my head thank you._

At 6:30 P.M. Snart’s four rules came in to play.

                Make the plan: Done!

                Execute the plan: Started!

                Expect the plan to go off the rails: GOD DAMNIT!!!

                Apparently ‘Girls Night’ included one Leonard Snart.

                And Barry did not want to know what that meant.

                It was time for the last rule: throw away the plan.

                “Ok, Ok, Ok.” Barry ran a hand through his hair thinking at superspeed. “Here is what we are going to do. Dibny will change into someone else, literally anyone else who isn’t one of us. He can still play a facilitator just be careful and know that we are in quick running distance… and we have that mind-wipe-flashy thing.”

                “This is a bad idea.” Oliver grumbled but failed to provide a suitable alternative. Everyone watched in slightly amused horror as Dibny changed into what looked like a generic NPC mobster from a video game. With more definition and too much hair grease

                With bated breath Barry and Oliver stood side by side as they watched the newer heroes and Constantine left the Waverider, a crazy mission ahead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Random DC reference for a character I will never use again.


	16. There is always a catch.

                “No.”

                “Dibny.”

                “NO!”

                “Its not like your going to be hurt or anything.”

                “I’m not doing it!”

                “You’ve been to a strip club before.”

                “Not like this! And before you say it, no it is not the same! I’m not doing it!!”

                “What’s the problem mate? Afraid your going to like it?”

                “I don’t like you Dr. Who, just so you know.”

                “Come on you idiots, I don’t want to be hear any more than Dibny does. Lets just go in there, find our target and get this over with.” Zari was the only one who didn’t sound like she was laughing.

                “Why don’t you want to be here?” And Constantine sounded smarmy as ever.

                “I’m Muslim, half naked men dancing around doesn’t exactly work with my faith.” Barry flinched from his spot on the Waverider bridge watching the video feed from the spy cameras on the heroes clothing.

                Though Barry is pretty sure he would not enjoy spending time in an all-male strip club. Though knowing what he knew now about Snart’s and Mick’s relationship he was wondering what Snart was thinking in there.

                Also, this may be some footage he wants to save to rewatch later. It would be a lark at a later date especially since he might be able to use it to tease Dibny.

                Dibny groaned like he was being openly tortured by the whole experience. It only took a beat before Dibny to lead the way into the neon sign adorned strip club.

                Barry would admit to the blush that touched his face when the pounding music flooded the bridge and the bright colored lights of the club sprung up on the stage, the lights highlighting the barely covered body of a man on stage. He doubted that Nate, Cisco and Dig would admit to their blushes though. It was probably a good thing that one man sitting in in a club like this with little to no interest was easily spotted.

                Dibny, apparently not wanting to approach the mission with any subtlety made a bee line for the younger Leonard Snart. When he got close they could hear the conversation he was having with their target.

                “You still haven’t explained the appeal of this.” Barry swore he could hear smirk on Snart’s face,

                “If I knew the appeal, darling, I would tell you. Just enjoy your drink and try not to annoy the girls.” Their target’s voice was slightly lyrical and deep with a bit of bitterness and laughter.

                “Why did they even want to come to this god-awful place?”

                “Suzie is sleeping with one of the dancers, and Mary and Eliza just want to celebrate their most recent scores and have a proverbial pissing match. If we are lucky, I get those two drunk enough have one of their ‘It didn’t happen no clue what you’re talking about’ hook-ups and Suzie ditches us in like 20 minutes after her boy shakes his thing to have her own fun. Which trust me is what we both want.”

                Leonard snorted and gazed at the stage where women were shoving bills in the shiny short pants. Except his gaze was obviously lower than the stage, on the crowd closer to the stage.

                “Goal one is close to being achieved, quicker than you expected I assume.” Snart drawled out.

                The woman’s gazed followed his and she sighed with a tap on the table.

                “Hand down the pants already, Eliza… come on sweetie, your better than that. Her last job must have required her to lose her panties more than she likes.”

                “And that’s why I hate grifting.”

                “Because you lose your panties?” There was some humor in the voice but with a bit of sadness.

                “Because you give up your power and control of yourself for the pay day. Even when you control everything else that’s too much to lose.”

                The woman hummed and sipped the orange juice in front of her. She glanced around and finally noticed the heroes hovering a bit too close for comfort. Barry was surprised to see her smirk, arch an eyebrow and lean towards Snart. Snart noticed the change in his girlfriend’s position and glanced over too. One of his hands drifted down towards his belt, where Barry didn’t doubt he had a gun while the other slide around the woman’s shoulders, pulling her close to his chest.

                “Can we help you fine gentlemen… and lady?” Snart drawled over her shoulder, danger in his eyes.

                “I-Uh-“ Barry groaned hearing Dibny stammer in front of Snart and Angel. He spent most of a year hiding as Devoe and he is left stammering in front of man with a gun he stammers. “Mis-Ms. Foxx. My name Ra- Roger, Roger Smith. I have a business opportunity for you and was hoping to have a moment.”             

                The woman snickered and slowly placed her drink down on the table. The hand freed from the drink moved to settle on the slight swell of her stomach while her other moved to stroke the skin where Snart’s long sleeve shirt met his wrist.

                “Well, Mr. Smith was it? Unfortunately, I’m currently taking… lets call it a sabbatical. I might be able to direct you to a reliable operator, if I knew anything about you or the job. As it is, I have to ask you to move on if you’re interested in keeping your appendages as I am having a night with my friends.” The confident arrogance of her voice could make Barry understand exactly why both Snart and Mick had fallen for her. She sounded like she could take Dibny apart without a second glance then finish her juice while he was bleeding out.

                “Trust me love, while I don’t doubt you are very gifted with a particular set of skills and all that none of those are what we are looking for. We are hoping to purchase an item for an interested 3rd party. An item we know for a fact is in your possession. And which we are willing to pay handsomely.” Constantine stepped forward, saving poor Dibny from having to play a mobster. Barry was having a hard time not laughing every time Dibny shifted on one of his companions’ video feeds in total discomfort. All Male strip clubs where apparently his kryptonite.

                They could see the hitwoman’s eyes narrow and then examine the trio more closely. Barry and Oliver both shifted at the same time as she did so. Her gaze was a little too predatory, a little too cold, a little too broken. If they ever needed confirmation that this woman was a killer, that gaze confirmed it.

                “5 minutes.”

                Everyone is surprised. Snart looks like she just slapped him across the face. Dibny looks like he is going to fall to his knees and worship her as a god, though that could be because a new man had taken the stage.

                “Honey…” Snart sounded like he was going to fight the decision.

                “I’m going to talk to them at the bar, where you can see. None of them have a weapon, even you can see that. It will be fast then I’ll stab them or hit one of them. Usually how these things work.”

                Snart sighed and took a sip from the drink in front of him again. He looked like someone had switched out with pickle juice.

                “Bring me a fresh drink when your done then, since your hell bent on abandoning me here.”

                Angel leaned in and kissed Snart solidly on the lips, lingering an uncomfortably long time, before she finished off her orange juice. She cocks her finger slightly towards the bar and stands up fluidly. She stalks to the bar without a second glance to the hero trio.

                They practically tripped over themselves following the hit woman to the end of the bar. Barry nodded when Oliver grumbled a ‘Need more under cover training’ to the scene they are creating.

                “I represent-“ Zari tried to start their rehearsed script when the hitwoman’s hand shot up, covered the totem barer’s mouth.

                “No. No you don’t. What ever your going to say wouldn’t fool a 5-year-old. Seriously if my closest thing to friends weren’t about to have their seasonal ‘we-aren’t-in-love-what-are-you-saying’ fuck I would drag them over here to give you a lesson or two in the art of lying. One second.” The hitwoman leaned over bar and placed an order with the scantily clad bartender who slid up to her.

                She turned around to examine the heroes again and sighs like she has found them wanting.

                “So, a Warlock, a Totem barer and a Moron walk into a strip club and try to lie to a hitwoman. What I’m wondering is, what my dear idiots is the punchline? Besides the right hook I’m going to lay on you when we are done.”

                There was a pliable pause from the heroes as she smiles and leans back on a stool.

                “How did you know what we are?” Zari sounded truly concerned that two of them where so easily made. Barry felt it too.

                The woman smirked again and reached up to tap the totem laying just below the base of her throat.

                “There was a woman, the only woman I ever knew to truly care about those who needed her. She was a shaman. Taught me something about it too. There are things I might not fully know but I know enough to recognize a few bits of power. The tattoos on the brit are also a giveaway.”

                “My tattoos are covered.”

                Barry watched in amazement as she grabbed Constantine’s wrist almost as quickly as he could and pulled his arm out straight. She ran her finger over a small strip of skin where his trench coat ended. If he squinted, he could just barely make out a tiny dot of black at the end of the sleeve.

                “I observe better than most. You’re running out of time. Tell me what you want Warlock or leave me be. I have a fun evening of being uncomfortable or abandoned for the prospect of sex ahead of me.”

                “We need your necklace.” Dibny blurted out to a stifled groan from Zari. Well not just Zari, everyone on the Waverider groaned at Dibny’s bluntness. Barry was tempted to run and grab the 4 of them to let more experienced heroes just take care of this mess once and for all.

                “You need the Sight of Artemis?” The hitwoman rocked back for a second and giggled. “Why little Warlock, did a Huntress escape their hold?”

                “You-“

                “Know? I may not be a practitioner, but I know how to identify magic. It only took a few feelers to figure out what this piece that called out to me was.”

                “Called to you? Why would the Sight call to you?”

                “You’re a smart man, you can figure it out in your own time. Now, tell me, why should I give you or even sell you the Sight? I have no love for anyone on this god forsaken planet but a small group of people I can count on one hand.”

                “We will pay well and… well your shaman friend would want you to.”

                The bartender placed two drinks in front of the hitwoman, who handed over a bill with a wink. She hummed again, tapping the bar top.

                “7 million, gold.”

                “Excuse me?”

                “You should know better little Warlock, you can’t exchange an item bound to a deity without doing something that evokes another. Stealing it, as I did, is an act of Hermes, killing for it is an act of Ares, waiting for me to die and taking it then is an act of Hades, paying for it, in gold, is an act of Apollo. 7 million dollars in gold in the next 5 minutes and it yours. I don’t need it after all.”

                The hitwoman stood up with the drinks securely in her hands, prepared to walk away.

                “Well get the gold here.”

                “Good. I’ll be with my boy waiting nice and patient like.”

                She started to walk away but Constantine grabbed her arm before she could walk away.

                “If you where taught by a shaman why not become one yourself, do some good for the world instead of killing.”

                The hitwoman smiled a feral predators smile.

                “Little Warlock I’m surprised. A trained practitioner like you should know better. If you’re too tainted when you learn you become corrupted magic, becoming ensnared by a demon someone like you would try to cast away. I had no shred of innocence left when my shaman gave me her love.”

                “No inno- How is- how old were you?” Constantine looked pale and shaken as he dropped the woman’s arm, stepping back and sounding like she had stabbed him. Oliver’s eyes widened proving this behavior was really out of the ordinary.

                The hitwoman kissed the British man’s cheek and continued to move back to her table.

                “9.” Her voice was sweet and deadly as she turned her back on the trio.

                As the hitwoman returned to Leonard Snart who took his drink from her and her hand to hold in his as she sat back down. Three other women had joined the table and Snart’s grumpy little frown revealed his total discomfort to the whole situation.

                “What’s wrong John? Wally is having Gideon make the gold you need right now and get to you in time.” Oliver sounded uncomfortable, cranky and confused at the same time and Barry couldn’t help but agree with that mood.

                “Oliver, mate, that woman just told us she lost all shreds of her innocence before age 9.”

                “I don’t understand, its not like she was saying-“

                “Yes, she was, mate, yes she was. Bloody hell, if she hadn’t gotten her hands on that Sight, she could even be a target by the force that makes Huntresses herself.” Constantine turned to Zari’s camera and looked directly into it. “You wanta know what kind of woman can become a Huntress? Well you just saw one.”

                The heroes where quiet for several heart beats.

                “I’m going to wait for the yellow speedster outside and have me smoke. You two keep your eyes on that betty.” Constantine walked away from his partners.

                It took 4 minutes for Gideon to fabricate enough period accurate gold and a suitcase to deliver it in for the general amusement of Wally. The whole time the other heroes had just watched Dibny get drunk at the bar and Zari watching Snart as he sat with his arm around their hitwoman and occasionally run his fingers through her hair. He still had plenty of time to get the gold to Constantine, but Barry was still worried about this whole situation.

                It felt too easy.

                But that’s how it worked.

                Wally handed Constantine the briefcase, he stubbed out his cigarette and returned to the club. He didn’t grab Zari or Dibny, just went straight to the table and placed the briefcase on the table. They could see the hitwoman open the briefcase with a smirk from her an arched eyebrow from Snart.

                “Angel, should I be worried?” Len drawled and placed a hand on the top of the briefcase.

                “Just selling a piece from an old job, dear, nothing to worry about.”

                The hitwoman undid her necklace, wrapped it a napkin.

                “Have fun, Frodo and good luck.” The bundled amulet was shoved into Constantine’s hand and the hitwoman threw him another of her predatory smirks. “Believe me, you’ll need it.” She paused then hit Constantine straight in the face. "Had to keep my promise, love."

                Zari and Dibny happily ran to catch up with Constantine as he left the club. Wally speed the three back to the Waverider with the amulet.

                “Well… that was easy.” Dig said looking surprised at the heroes.

                “Maybe she knew it was better to save people than keep something kind of ugly?” Thea offered.

                “Lets just get out of here before we can screw anything up.” Constantine said placing the napkin on planning room table. He unwrapped the amulet and went to pick it up. The moment his fingers touched it he jerked back and let out a string of curses.

                All the heroes stared at the cursing Warlock and then a collective groan echoed among them.

                “And there is the catch.” Oliver groaned staring at the offensive object on the table.

                Yep, Barry forgot there is always a catch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep what ever your thinking when you read Innocence, is probably right.
> 
> almost done.


End file.
